Musicals

[Moorhunhe]

(I did a search, and couldn't find anything)

Anyone a musical fan?
The reason I like to see a certain musical multiple times is either due to someone in it that I really like, or knowing an understudy will be on stage that day in a certain role, or just because I love it so much.
I know there's so many others out there, but I'm also a bit of a habit-creature, and keep going back to the things I like rather then trying new things.

As a massive Lion King fan, you'd think my number 1 musical would be The Lion King, but it's not I'm afraid, lol.

Though, I've seen Lion King 6 or 7 times, mainly at London since 2006, and once in Bradford during their UK tour in 2022.
I was a bit tired of the West End version, as in, I started to feel they were "cramped for time" and rambling lines and I couldn't see the enthousiasm anymore with some characters, and thought it'd be nice to actually see a completely different cast during the tour production. And that performance kind of resparked my interest in the West End production again.
I don't really see Lion King for the actual story, as I'm not a great fan of the stage adaption.
That doesn't mean I don't think they've done an amazing job to bring it alive.
The story itself as it is on stage doesn't always keep me as engaged as it should.
When I do see it, I go for the merchandise (haha) and the amazing cast that London has got. 2 of them have been doing it for over 12 years now (Mufasa & Scar), and my favorite musical actor was in it for over 10 years (Simba).

With my favorite leaving Lion King, I got to know some musicals I would have probably not heard about or be interested in, and that had a knock-on effect with other actors going from the shows they were in to new shows I would otherwhise never heard off.

It's because of him we heard about Come From Away, London.
It's about the "plane people" who ended up in Gander, during 9/11.
How a small town managed to take care of so many people as if they did this kind of thing every day.
We've also been a few times especially to see understudies in certain roles.
I ended up seeing it 9 times in London, and we are going to see it on tour next month in Leicester.
With 1 person from the original cast in the tour too, so that'll be fun seeing him again.
Their last show was January 2023 in London, which was quite emotional really.

Aladdin, London.
We seen this one once, and it was really good, allthough the ending I thought wasn't as "wauw" as it could have been.

Prince of Egypt, London.
Sadly I couldn't go, due to all the Covid rules at the time.
My boyfriend got us tickets for Christmas 2019 to see the show in 2020, and we had that date changed twice, and he ended up having to go alone.
Absolutey gutted, as I really wanted to see this one.
Luckily, I did get to see it when it was at the cinema last November, not the same experience, but glad I still got to see it that way.

The Third Man, London.
My favorite then went on from Come From Away to this one (and another actor that was in it too).
When we saw it, we didn't know it was actually an old British movie.
Maybe that helped us, as we really liked the musical, and were very impressed with the cast.
Because I heard many who had seen the movie, didn't like this version at all.
We did watch the movie after, to see if the story was kept the same.
We saw this one twice, close to opening, and 2 days before it ended.

The Little Big Things, London.
I wouldn't have known about this one, if it weren't for one of the Come From Away actors being in it.
And wow ... just WOW! This show is just incredible!
The actors are truly amazing for bringing this story to life every evening.
It's a true story about Henry Fraser, who has an accident, ends in a wheelchair. It's not about what you can't do anymore in life, but about what you *can* do.
And the way they portray him (2 actors during the entire show) is just so well done.
It's ending March 2nd, and we got home last week, and immidiately booked it again just before it ends.
It's a bit heavy to watch, at some point the entire audience was crying all at the same time, but it's just so well done.

Mrs Doubtfire, London.
We saw this one a few days ago, it's one of our favorite movies.
The actors are all great. We had the understudy for Daniel, who was just great, does all the voices you can recognize from in the movie too.
The girl playing the eldest daughter was amazing.
Overall, when it was done, I just didn't have that "wauw" feeling, I don't know.
I wasn't in a great mood, I've been struggling health wise, so maybe it was just all because of that, or maybe there was just something missing throughout the entire show.
Definately recommend seeing it at least once (I don't think I'd see it again, maybe, I don't know ... I'm not sure about this one).

Starry Messenger, London.
This is a play we saw, because Matthew Broderick was in it.
Quite a heavy plot, but really good.

Plaza Suite, London.
With Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker.
It's playing right now for a few weeks at the Savoy Theatre.
It was really good and funny. And we saw Matthew in a different light then from how he usually comes accross (a bit stiff usually), to more physical comedy.

We haven't seen that many different shows, but we do enjoy going to them very much.

I would have wanted to see Mouling Rouge but heard a lot of stories about the audience not always behaving good and I just wouldn't be able to cope very well so decided to let this one slide, and Frozen was on the list, but I know I would get annoyed for multiple reasons at this one.

Still coming in the next weeks / months.
The Unfriend (London), The Little Big Things (before it ends 2 days later), Book of Mormon (Birmingham).

Still annoyed I missed Lion King twice in America by just a few days, when visiting San Antonio and San Fransisco. Both shows were always announced after I had already payed for flights and everything, pff.

My favorite has now went on to Guys and Dolls (London), and we'll be going somewhere in April.
I've not seen it before, so don't know anything about it.

 

[Lori Patton]

I also enjoy musicals although I haven't seen very many live performances. I'm particularly interested in old Hollywood movie musicals from the 1940s, especially those with Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly. My favorite musical composers are Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Jerome Kern.

For live performances, I've seen "Cats" and "Beauty and the Beast" with the original cast, including Tom Bosley of "Happy Days" fame. I've also seen some very well-done Disney productions such as "Aladdin" at the California theme parks.

I frequently listen to albums with Broadway and film standards by performers such as Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. I have also seen Julie Andrews twice -- once in concert in 1989 and the other at a question-and-answer forum in Beverly Hills where I got to speak to her!

 

[Moorhunhe]

As for movies, I'm not very familiar with the older ones.
I have seen Cats the movie, and well ... I don't know what to say about it really, hehe.
I'd still love to see the actual stage show though.

I love The Greatest Showman, that music has got me through some rough times.
We saw it at the movies when it came out, and that first tone of the song, just completely had me hooked.

And Spirited, I'm not a big Will Ferrell person, I think he's usually too much, but he's just enough in that one.
And the music is great. Same writers as The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen.
Hmm, I wanted to see Dear Evan Hansen, but then found it on youtube, and even though the story is interesting, and the music is really good, it looked like what was happening on stage just seemed boring, so I kind of put it asside "for later" but then it ended in the West End. It's going on tour, so maybe ...

Oh wauw, you saw Julie Andrews and managed to speak to her? That's so cool!

 

[Lori Patton]

In 2008 Julie Andrews was doing a promotional tour for her new autobiography "Home: A Memoir of My Early Years." It was during one of these events that I saw her and was able to speak to her during an audience question-and-answer period. I also have an autographed copy of her book!

I also saw "The Greatest Showman" at the cinema and thought it was really good although I couldn't understand why the bearded lady character didn't just shave her beard -- lol! There is another old musical with a circus theme called "Jumbo" starring Doris Day from 1962. The score is by Rodgers and Hart and has the standard "My Romance."

I never saw the "Cats" movie, but heard the critics panned it. When I was a kid, I used to sing some of the songs in my voice lessons and had the soundtrack so I was already familiar with the music before seeing the stage production. I think the story probaby works better on stage than film.

How exciting it must be for you to see plays in London! I've never been to England, but absolutely love everything about it -- the countryside, history, architecture, royal family, etc.! The only streaming service I have is PBS and I watch all the British shows like Grantchester, All Creatures Great and Small, and Victoria! It is so much fun being on ZooChat and conversing with interesting people around the world!

 

[Moorhunhe]

In 2008 Julie Andrews was doing a promotional tour for her new autobiography "Home: A Memoir of My Early Years." It was during one of these events that I saw her and was able to speak to her during an audience question-and-answer period. I also have an autographed copy of her book!

I also saw "The Greatest Showman" at the cinema and thought it was really good although I couldn't understand why the bearded lady character didn't just shave her beard -- lol! There is another old musical with a circus theme called "Jumbo" starring Doris Day from 1962. The score is by Rodgers and Hart and has the standard "My Romance."

I never saw the "Cats" movie, but heard the critics panned it. When I was a kid, I used to sing some of the songs in my voice lessons and had the soundtrack so I was already familiar with the music before seeing the stage production. I think the story probaby works better on stage than film.

How exciting it must be for you to see plays in London! I've never been to England, but absolutely love everything about it -- the countryside, history, architecture, royal family, etc.! The only streaming service I have is PBS and I watch all the British shows like Grantchester, All Creatures Great and Small, and Victoria! It is so much fun being on ZooChat and conversing with interesting people around the world!

I can't believe I never saw this reply :'(
I haven't been super active the past year on the forum either.

I don't live near London, but it's only a 55 min train ride away, and the boyfriend has now gotten a job with the train company and we travel for free so I have been to many shows in the past few months. Mainly the same ones though, because I'm a creature of habit, and if I like something I'll just see it over and over again.

Last year I did see Guys and Dolls 20 times, and I'm not ashamed to say it, haha! It was over a span of 10 months, until it closed, we were at the last show.
Absolutely loved it. Good music, good lyrics, funny bits, and I managed to catch some understudies so it was always different.
I also proposed to the boyfriend after the show, but inside the theatre with still hundreds of people left inside

As for this year, I've seen Book of Mormon quite a few times. I know it's definitely not for everyone, and I'm not religious in any way either, I take it for what it is during those 2,5 hours, and it's just fun, the London cast is simply amazing and so talented.

The Producers are back in London too, we saw it twice at a very small theatre, and when it closed there they announced they were going into an actual theatre and we went to see it there too.
Also to show support for one of the actors, as he was doing multiple roles and we wanted to see him in both roles.

Shucked also came to London, to the Open Air Theatre, which was a new experience. The setting was perfect for this show. Thought it was hilarious, my kind of music style and my kind of humor, it only had a 5-week run and I saw it many times, hehe.

Oh yeah, also went to a workshop for Mona Loser (about a washed up music producer) + Love Can (about different types of loneliness and "renting a friend" to fill that void), which was interesting to be part of.
Actors with the script in front of them, just sitting on chairs mostly, no props, nothing. And at the end fill in a questionnaire about it, what did you like and didn't like about it, what changes could be made etc.

Next on the list now are Hamilton, as that's where my fave went to (after being in Guys and Dolls & Shucked).
I'm not a fan to be honest, I've seen it on Disney+ and I'm sure it'll be different seeing it live, but the topic isn't really of my interest, the music style isn't my thing, and the tickets are so expensive if you don't want restricted view. But we'll go eventually at least once. Who knows, I might be pleasantly surprised and like it better after seeing it live.
We also have tickets for Come From Away at our local theatre, since the licence has been up for grabs for a while now for amateur companies, so it'll be interesting to see what they've done with it.

Play wise, I've seen Fawlty Towers 3 times, once last year with the original starting cast, and last August with the latest cast, because my parents were visiting from Belgium and my dad is a massive British comedy fan and loves Fawlty Towers, so we thought we'd give him his very first West End Experience and take him. And then I also saw their last matinee show last month (they are on tour in the UK now).

 

[Wanderer]

On my upcoming trip to Tokyo I'm thinking of going to see a musical. There is an adaptation of the movie "Bagdad Cafe" in particular that I'm curious about. I thought a musical in Japanese would be funny.

The only musical I've seen so far is The Lion King as a kid. I've also seen a few operas but it's expensive and the staging is often underwhelming so I choose to go to classical concerts instead.

 

[Moorhunhe]

On my upcoming trip to Tokyo I'm thinking of going to see a musical. There is an adaptation of the movie "Bagdad Cafe" in particular that I'm curious about. I thought a musical in Japanese would be funny.

The only musical I've seen so far is The Lion King as a kid. I've also seen a few operas but it's expensive and the staging is often underwhelming so I choose to go to classical concerts instead.

I'm sure that'd be really interesting seeing a musical in another country especially when in a different language too (Lion King tours all around the world, but many of them are in English and not native languages). Do you speak/understand Japanese?
I always wanted to see Lion King in France or Germany, but never got round to do it. I liked the songs in French, but I wouldn't understand it all (but know the story inside out anyway).

But if you're able to, go for it (y)

Not much a fan of classical/opera I'm afraid, so don't know anything about it (probably bits when I hear it).

 

[Wanderer]

I do understand Japanese, though I think there might be English surtitles too.

There is also a production of Guys and Dolls by the famous Takarazuka company at the same time but I find it less appealing.

If you're curious, there is a genre called operetta which is basically a middle ground between opera and musical. My favorite one is Csardasfürstin/the Csardas Princess. It's a super corny love story set in Austria-Hungary in the 1900s and it's a lot of fun.

 

[Moorhunhe]

I do understand Japanese, though I think there might be English surtitles too.

There is also a production of Guys and Dolls by the famous Takarazuka company at the same time but I find it less appealing.

If you're curious, there is a genre called operetta which is basically a middle ground between opera and musical. My favorite one is Csardasfürstin/the Csardas Princess. It's a super corny love story set in Austria-Hungary in the 1900s and it's a lot of fun.

Oh nice! It sounds like such an interesting language to learn, but I have no patience, lol.

I loved the version of Guys & Dolls we had in London last year, it was immersive too, so you had people standing around the stage that would go up and down.
But it depends, I tried watching the movie with Frank Sinatra and was bored ...

I've had a look on youtube for Csardasfürstin/the Csardas Princess. Not bad. Not sure if it's something I would just pick to go and see (without knowing someone who would be in it as that's usually how I get to know new things).