160 replies to this topic

[DanielWhit]

cat123, on 02 October 2012 - 10:17 PM, said:

Does anyone have any comments on Charlotte Harwood? She's a very large part of the reason I want to see this!

She doesn't honestly get a lot to do as Leia, I'd wait until she gets Holly dates and you'll have a much bigger reason to see her.

[Front Row Dress]

I'm probably way too old for this, but the story & dialogue really are terrible, as are the dreadfully over the top performances, presumably at the behest of the director. The songs are good, but the show simply isn't West End ready and I doubt it can be sorted out in the two weeks left to opening night. I really don't know how they can expect this to be successful as it seems to be aimed at very young teenagers who won't fill the Garrick every night at £45-£50 a pop. A shame as their history shows that James Bourne and Elliot Davis are very talented writers. I've moaned a bit longer on my blog, but not too much more http://www.frontrowd...ednesday-3.html

[holler]

DanielWhit, on 02 October 2012 - 09:56 PM, said:

So far as the lyrics go, I had no trouble understanding most of them - which is saying something as it's common for me to hardly catch any lyrics on a first outing to a musical. Certainly were no problems with the kit being too loud, in fact the only time I thought "I can't hear what they are singing" was during the big cast stuff in Ticket Outta Loserville.

Glad to hear that, maybe it was first night trouble or else I was in a poor seat (I was stuck behind a pillar). I wondered last night whether a hand held mic might be better for Slacker and Ticket Outta Loserville than the stick on mics.

Going again next Friday so be interested to see if they've made any changes in that time.

[Sam4God]

holler, on 02 October 2012 - 08:27 AM, said:

Agreed - I was there last night and you could tell that it wasn't brand new, in a good way. I was most impressed by the set, design and overall running of the show. It was slick (aside from the odd cast member almost careering into a bit of moving set/falling over etc, but expected for a first night and this was only minimal) and well rehearsed. It definitely didn't feel like the first night of a brand new show... in terms of the production.

The plot is easy to follow, but has slightly more depth than the likes of Grease - and certainly more likeable, believable and realistic characters. It was easier to get invested in this show rather than Grease, which I think is the best thing to compare it to. OK, we haven't grown up with a film version of Loserville and don't already know all the songs, but its primary target audience - fans of Busted, McFly, Son of Dork, surely? - will know some of them, and the rest are so catchy that you feel like you already knew them by the time you left.

There was a great atmosphere last night, I'm sure lots of friends of the show/cast, but the audience seemed very supportive, which was nice to be a part of. Lots of cheers and a standing ovation at the end.

Positives:
-music (catchy, lively, uplifting)
-set (original use of comic book theme integrated into the whole show, cast coming on with set/props makes it feel dynamic and keeps the show moving)
-it's an original, new story... OK it won't win any Oscars, but it doesn't claim to be anything it's not. It's not a film or book adaptation, and for that I applaud it
-Aaron Sidwell... as the lead Michael Dork, he is sensitive, likeable, and carries the vocals better than anyone else in the cast
-overall energy of the show... as I said, it's uplifting, lively and finishing by 9.50pm, it's relatively short and snappy, so the show moves along nicely and doesn't drag on more than it needs to.

Negatives:
I don't want to say too much, as above it's only its first West End performance and it would seem a little unfair... but my biggest disappointment was the quality of the vocals last night. The drums were a little too loud, which drowned out the ensemble at times, and it was difficult to decipher the lyrics during Slacker and some of the faster songs. I'm not sure if some of the cast couldn't hear themselves properly but the overall quality was way, way below what I'd expect for a West End show and certainly what you'd expect if you're paying £50+ for a ticket - the first song of Act 2 in particular was a little painful. It wasn't just the odd bum note, but entire phrases completely off key, which was really disappointing. It's not up to the standard, in this respect, of 99% of the shows out there. Other than that, I think it is more than capable of holding its own. If the vocals had been up there with the quality of Ghost, WWRY etc, this show really would have blown me away.

I wonder if anyone who's seen it previously can comment on the vocals...?

I experienced similar problems when I saw it in Leeds a few months ago. I think it's mainly due to the music (especially drums) being too loud, rather than the quality of the vocals. But I couldn't hear some of the lyrics properly which was annoying. I'm seeing it again tonight; hoping the sound issues have been improved.

[cat123]

Well, that was masses of fun! Definitely needs work, it dragged in places, but the songs and the staging were brilliant.

Will be back for sure! (Probably when Charlotte's on as Holly!)

[Mark_E]

Agreed cat, I also saw it tonight. So much energy, and so much fun.

[cat123]

One other thing, I thought introducing the cast at the beginning/end like that was really cool!! Like opening and closing credits of a sitcom. Neat. I didn't really enjoy being blinded by strobe lights though...

[Michael H]

There's a special offer come up through the Weinberger Facebook page.  Best available tickets for £29.50 until 20 October.

http://www.josef-wei...weinberger.html

[DanielWhit]

cat123, on 04 October 2012 - 10:42 PM, said:

One other thing, I thought introducing the cast at the beginning/end like that was really cool!! Like opening and closing credits of a sitcom. Neat. I didn't really enjoy being blinded by strobe lights though...

It did take me a second to realise what on earth was going on when they started that! Strobes.. I can't remember any strobes. Wonder if they are adding to it already.

[cat123]

No strobes exactly. Or not fast ones anyway. When Michael and Holly are in the Planetarium. Lights shine into the audience and on was blinding me.