[meerkat]

Anyone got any news about this show?

I know the bare details that it includes songs from short run musicals including
Matador, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Act, The Rink, Drowsy Chaperone, Ballroom, Silence!, Merrily We Roll Along, Ragtime, Metropolis, Side Show, Moby Dick, Steel Pier, Children of Eden, City of Angels, Victor / Victoria .

[meerkat]

I am going to this next week- anyone else going?

[meerkat]

Saw the first night tonight.
It is just behind the Victoria Palace theatre ( Billy Elliot) above the Stag pub. The weeny box offfice is on your right as you go in- Peter Bull the producer mans it! The house opens about 7.25pm- it is unreserved seating. It is a cosy space as most fringe venues- are- just 3 rows. It can get quite hot. It lasts just over 90 minutes with an interval.

It was an interesting evening in more ways than one!
The cast of 5 introduced the numbers with informative facts- which I found really original and iintersting with some interjections from the MD at the piano!
The whole concept of an evening made up of "flops" is a challenge and a marketing nightmare I would think- but they rose to it. It evolved into a tongue in cheek homage to shows of varying successes.
some of them were successful on Broadway but failed over here and vice versa. Some like the hilarious "Silence of the lambs" never even made it to the opening night!
Others like Spark of Creation from Children of Eden were not a longlasting success in the West End but are very successful in schools and amateur productions.
There is some blurb about it on the WOS pages........ for example.............

Blink is a feast of wonderful and well-known songs which have gone on to a life beyond their theatrical origin and includes showstoppers from musicals including Matador, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Act, The Rink, Drowsy Chaperone, Ballroom, Silence!, Oscar, Merrily We Roll Along, Ragtime, Metropolis, Side Show, Moby Dick, Steel Pier, Children of Eden, City of Angels, Victor / Victoria and more. Why do some musicals run forever and others … well, blink, and you missed them? Why do some musicals flop the first time and then go on to successful revivals? Were some simply ahead of their time? Chicago and La Cage Aux Folles, both hit shows now, failed to find an audience in London the first time round ............

I preferred the numbers which had been so awful that they were funny- in a Springtime for Hitler type of way- eg Silence of the Lambs.
In some of the early numbers it wasnt obvious at first that they were going to give it a comedy twist-and you werent sure whether they were acting over the top because of their MT style or because they were sending it up. I actually quite liked some of the serious "flops" eg The Boy from Nowhere from The Matador.

I loved their spoof of actor musicians eg Sunset Boulevard, Company etc.

My daughter had seen the whole of Sideshow- so was surprised to see their comic interpretation of I will Never Leave you taken out of its poignant context.

All in all there are some very amusing parts- performed by an enthusiastic cast.
Overall I think it would work better in a caberet venue with small tables in my humble opinion, but it was an enjoyable evening spent in a very convenient location.
I wish it well this next month.