Hey! It's been a while since I've blogged about my theatrical pursuits so here goes!
DreamGirls
I went to see this with a friend for her birthday and simply put it was amazing! One of the reasons that I did want to see it was because of Amber Riley and the date we picked was supposed to be the day that she was on but it was not to be. I quickly got over the disappointment however as Marisha Wallace was fantastic and really held her own. We got stall seats (row C) for £52.20 through Todaytix .If you haven't used them before you can get £10 off your ticket price with the code YXVBY.
The set was well laid out and the costumes were beautiful too. Everyone could actually sing which was great. Obviously I lived for the performance of 'And I am telling you' and I was not disappointed. 'Listen' was amazing and I loved the simple harmonies used in the duet. I really cannot stress enough how great the singing was and it really brought life to the musical. That is not to say that the acting was bad because it was also good as well. I just feel that in this day and age where actors are sometimes used in musicals more for their aesthetics than their singing ability, good singing needs to be appreciated. Everyone who sang on the stage was as much a singer as much as they were an actor/tress and it made for great viewing.
I definitely do want to see it again and because I've already seen it up close and personal, I would see it again without being too fussed about where I sit. If you haven't seen it yet what are you waiting for?
Overall: 5/5
The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time
I went to see a matinee performance in April by myself as I wanted to make sure that I see it before it ends in June and goes on a UK Worldwide tour. Admittedly it has been at the West End for a few years but I never got round to seeing it-until now. You should know by now that I love a good bargain when it comes to theatre tickets but I find that with plays that are housed by theatres run by Delfont Mackintosh you can get a better deal. It makes sense as there is no 'middle man/woman (to be PC) ' and it is bought directly from the theatre. I was in the second row and it only cost £42.50 which is great in my opinion.
As I had not yet read the book I decided to get the Kindle Version. Can I just say that Mark Haddon is a really good author and the voice he employed when writing as Christopher was believable too. I could relate to the book in more ways than one but back to the play! I really liked the way they used their props and the stage too; the clever use of the grid as the backdrop for the stage and how the stairs came out when Christopher was on the escalator. I was able to connect with the actors on an emotional level too. At first I was not too keen on Siobhan being the narrator for the whole play as it made for a clumsy transition at times however towards the end it made more sense.It is always interesting to see how a novel is adapted for the stage and I appreciate the fact that there will have to be changes based on logistics at times.
Overall I will give the play a 4/5 as it was a really good adaptation and I loved how the actors made good use of their space and their bodies too.
Les Mis
Well! Who hasn't seen posters everywhere from the tube to the back of buses for the longest running musical in the West End? If not, are you living under a rock? It was because of this that I decided to check it out; after all they must be doing something right. I wanted to get a good seat so I got front row seats which could be hit and miss really. I was a bit concerned after reading reviews which suggested the need to constantly sit up and crane your neck. I ordered my ticket despite this and to date it was the most I had paid for a theatre ticket (£74.75).This was still very cheap for the seat I had as I ordered directly from the theatre and compared to what ticket agents were stating it was a good price. The seating was not a problem for me and it turned out to be fine.
Though I knew it was a long musical, I don't think I was prepared for just how long it was. I went on a Saturday evening, 8th July after a fun day out so that is something to consider. I had read up on what Les Mis was about but I still did not know what to expect and the only song I knew was 'I dreamed a Dream' (thanks Susan Boyle). I also had never been to a musical quite like this before where everything is sung through. At first I thought that qualifies it to be an opera but it is not so. It was a different experience to say the least but a nice one nevertheless. In the beginning I could not understand some of the words that were being sung and I had to really strain my ears to hear.
I was intrigued in the beginning but I think it was after 15 minutes that I really got stuck into the storyline. I found myself rooting for Jean Valjean and really wanting him to forge ahead into a better future and forget the shadows of the past. The only other thing that I did not like is the facial expressions used when the older Eponine sang as it was distracting. I understand that the singing can take a toll but I do not feel like one should look like you are in anguish. It was the only thing that marred the experience for me especially as nobody else looked that way when they were performing.
Overall I will give 'Les Mis' a 5/5 as I really love the storyline and it actually ministered to me on a spiritual level too (random I know ). I would definitely see it again and it would be interesting to see other adaptations from around the world!
P.S.: I actually covered a play, a musical and a 'music-opera'(in my opinion). Pretty cool huh? ;)