Live Theatre / Musicals

[Clive]

Very interested in your thoughts...

We should talk about that one at some point. I saw it at The Shed on New Year's Eve 2023.

 

[Legacy]

Final saw the stage version of The Lion King, and after two decades of raves for the show, I left feeling incredibly whelmed.

The opening made me feel like a kid, watching the movie for the first time. Just in complete awe. And then it just cratered. There are great instances, but just as many (if not more) staggeringly weird choices.

Granted, this was a tour (in Kansas City), so there were obviously a number of concessions, but so much of the show had me wondering “isn’t this supposed to be better?”

But the Circle of Life numbers? Divine.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Just saw Two Strangers at ART! What a wonderful an quirky show. And Sam Tutty seems to be as delightful IRL as he is in the show (yes I'm crushing hard).

 

[rob@rar]

Very interested in your thoughts...

Will be happy to share my thoughts about Here We Are after I see it tomorrow, but first I wanted to highlight a new British musical I saw last night, "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Adapted to a musical by the author of the best selling book (which was also made in to a movie starring Jim Broadbent), with a diverse score of folk, soul and gospel inspired music by indie pop crooner Passenger. The production is a short run at the Minerva stage at Chichester Festival Theatre. For my US-based friends this is a regional theatre on the south coast of England which has a very strong reputation for new and revisited productions, including a wonderful Sweeney Todd with Michael Ball & Imelda Staunton which then transferred to the West End for a lauded run; Ian McKellen's wonderful King Lear; a brilliant version of Sondheim's Assassins which included a final scene echoing the storming of the US Capital Building on 6 January which made me gasp; amongst a range of other top notch productions.

I haven't read the book so had no idea about the story, but without any spoilers it's a show which is uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure. It's one of the best shows I've seen in a long time, and perhaps the best new musical I think I've ever seen. The songs are great and the cast were superb, led by Mark Addy and Jenna Russell as Mr and Mrs Fry. It's a small performance space, but used wonderfully with sound, lighting and projections all on point. The production is only running for six weeks and is sold out, otherwise I'd highly recommend seeing it. I'm hoping that it gets a London run at some point, and I'll be first in line to see it again (and probably again). I have no idea how popular the book or the movie were in the US, but if this show gets to New York I'd urge you to put it on your 'must see' list. It really is very wonderful.