Showtuuuunes!!

[Ilovelulu]

Quite like some film musicals - King & I, Seven Brides and West Side Story are always unmissable.

Don't like theatres very much, saw Sweet Charity in the West End many years ago, wasn't particularly impressed.

One of these days I would love to go to the opera for real, enjoy them when shown on TV, the stories are wonderful.

Frazzled, if you ever get the chance I would highly recommend Aida, its a wonderful story, sad, but the performances from the Opera singers are unbelievable. I would say dont sit too close to the stage though as trying to imagine a 40 year old soprano as a 20 year old virgin is sometimes very hard to do! lol

 

[Frazzled]

Frazzled, if you ever get the chance I would highly recommend Aida, its a wonderful story, sad, but the performances from the Opera singers are unbelievable. I would say dont sit too close to the stage though as trying to imagine a 40 year old soprano as a 20 year old virgin is sometimes very hard to do! lol

Yes, in my top three! I saw a recording on BBC2 a few years ago filmed in Egypt at the pyramids, wonderful story as you say although a bit horrific as well!

 

[Ilovelulu]

Yes, in my top three! I saw a recording on BBC2 a few years ago filmed in Egypt at the pyramids, wonderful story as you say although a bit horrific as well!

Wow that must have been fantastic, I'll need to see if I can find it on the web. As you say it is a bit horrific though!

 

[Greg]

Oooh! Hope they sell other goodies from Musicals too as well as the half price vouchers. Can't wait.

 

[rosey]

I am obsessed with Les Mis. Seen it twice with Matt and Alfie, you will not be disappointed (unless Alfie is off sick again but I heard his understudy is phenomenal!!). This current cast is seriously top notch, though individually none would make my top 3 together they're brilliant, if that makes any sense?! Enjoy and do report back.

That is my worry - I follow Alfie on Twitter and have seen he has missed some performances - I really hope he does the performance I am going to. It has cost quite a lot to go and we have to travel to London so it will cost a lot to get there! Although every cast I have seen do it have been superb this time we are going specifically to see Alfie and Matt.

 

[Huggles]

I expect I'll be the only one, but I loved CATS, the music the dancing and the feline acting. Brings tears to my eyes every time I hear Elaine Page singing 'memories' as I think of all the old cats who are homeless.

 

[Alley Cat]

..... I feel much the same about Phantom, most of ALW's output in fact, they just don't do it for me, .

I really dislike everything ALW does I'm afraid - even Cats!

 

[Alley Cat]

One of these days I would love to go to the opera for real, enjoy them when shown on TV, the stories are wonderful.

Opera is my favourite art form. Used to go a lot when I lived in London and thought I'd be deprived when I moved to the sticks, but there are some really good provincial opera companies around to feed my addiction.

Would particularly recommend you see whether the Welsh National Opera do a mini-season within reach of where you live - their productions are first rate and they tour all over the place. If you enjoy opera on TV you'll absolutely love it live - well worth a bit of a drive to get there if necessary.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I have to disagree. The Phantom of the Opera is a beautiful gothic love story and the first time I saw it made me laugh, it had me on the edge of my seat, made me jump out of my skin and made me cry. I saw the original cast with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. I love it ... I regularly listen to the soundtrack and the final track always brings tears to my eyes. The Phantom dies of a broken heart.

God ... men don't do that these days do they lol

 

[BurlyBeaR]

I have to disagree. The Phantom of the Opera is a beautiful gothic love story and the first time I saw it made me laugh, it had me on the edge of my seat, made me jump out of my skin and made me cry. I saw the original cast with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. I love it ... I regularly listen to the soundtrack and the final track always brings tears to my eyes. The Phantom dies of a broken heart.

God ... men don't do that these days do they lol

erm doesnt he turn up large as life in Love Never Dies?

 

[BurlyBeaR]

That is my worry - I follow Alfie on Twitter and have seen he has missed some performances - I really hope he does the performance I am going to. It has cost quite a lot to go and we have to travel to London so it will cost a lot to get there! Although every cast I have seen do it have been superb this time we are going specifically to see Alfie and Matt.

Best production of Les Mis i have seen was the 25th anniversary touring production. all re-vamped, edited down a bit, brilliant sets and special effects (the bit when javert jumps off the bridge was fabulous... think "Defying Gravity"!) and even little gareth gates as Marius was a revelation.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

erm doesnt he turn up large as life in Love Never Dies?

See even the ****** Phantom doesn't die of a broken heart these days!!

That really is ALW taking the mick though.

 

[rosey]

Best production of Les Mis i have seen was the 25th anniversary touring production. all re-vamped, edited down a bit, brilliant sets and special effects (the bit when javert jumps off the bridge was fabulous... think "Defying Gravity"!) and even little gareth gates as Marius was a revelation.

Saw that one - with Gareth Gates - he was better than I thought he would be. Good production apart from the girl who played Eponine - she was a bit 'shouty' and lost some of the feeling in the songs. The jumping off the bridge bit was amazing. Also saw the 25th Anniversary Concert streamed to the cinema - couldnt afford to go to the O2 for real - that was amazing apart from the Jonas Brother who was crap - have it on DVD too. Alfie Boe is fantastic.

As you can tell we love Les Mis :nod:

 

[BurlyBeaR]

Saw that one - with Gareth Gates - he was better than I thought he would be. Good production apart from the girl who played Eponine - she was a bit 'shouty' and lost some of the feeling in the songs. The jumping off the bridge bit was amazing. Also saw the 25th Anniversary Concert streamed to the cinema - couldnt afford to go to the O2 for real - that was amazing apart from the Jonas Brother who was crap - have it on DVD too. Alfie Boe is fantastic.

As you can tell we love Les Mis :nod:

ah yes, i know what you mean. she was a bit "pop" wasn't she? i think there was a deliberate attempt to make the 25 tour different/current and that was maybe one character that didnt work so well. they speeded up "On My Own" too, which lost some of the emotion.

the guy who played Valjean, John Owen Jones was brilliant.

 

[Alley Cat]

. . . As you can tell we love Les Mis :nod:

Judging by this company I think I must be the only person in the world who hasn't seen or heard it. I don't know why, I certainly haven't avoided it intentionally, our paths have just never crossed. Clearly I need to get myself a DVD.

 

[BurlyBeaR]

Judging by this company I think I must be the only person in the world who hasn't seen or heard it. I don't know why, I certainly haven't avoided it intentionally, our paths have just never crossed. Clearly I need to get myself a DVD.

the problem with the DVD's you can get is that theyre the concert version. theyre good if youve already seen the show and know the story end to end, but i dont think the concert on its own explains the narrative adequately and people often wonder what all the fuss was about. show first, DVD after!

 

[Simon Sims]

Is this something to do with the ticket company that used to do vouchers to see west end shows at reduced prices - they used to sell on Ideal World?