#Musical Theatre review

[nabwastaken]

so I watched Heathers live

so for those unaware, the musical Heathers is currently on tour throughout the UK and I got to see it since it's in my town rn! (Shoutout to my brother for buying the tickets). I saw it live so here's a few notes and my review on it

For context I have seen and listened to the Original Off Broadway version, but have not seen the West End proshot and only listened to the added songs for it.

Also I have horrible memory so I may get stuff or misremember stuff wrong. Feel free to ask me a few questions abt my experience in the replies/rbs

Let's jump in!

Notes and Observations:

Ram and Kurt were really good. Like, they had awesome comedic timing and were always a treat to see onstage

Heather Chandler STOLE THE SHOW!!! Her actress was so talented and she rocked the vocals of Candy Store so much. She had such a presence every time she was onstage

But my favorite of all of them was JD. God, he was so fucking good. The Freeze Your Brain climax? Mwah, chef's kiss that was amazing. I was legit at the edge of my seat throughout Meant To Be Yours. When he yelled “VERONICA!” There was legit a growl as he yelled it out.

Kurt's Dad in Dead Gay Son had a fantastic voice

One of the nerd ensemble members was really funny. Like in Shine a Light he just shoved himself in front of Fleming to dance and that was so funny

The accents were WAYYY better than on the West End cast album. Which makes sense, apparently JD's actor was Canadian

There were a few lyric changes. Can't name them off the top of my head but they caught me slightly off guard when I heard them (particularly in Dead Gay Son with a whole verse)

The added songs weren't that bad! I still prefer Blue to You're Welcome but seeing it live changed my opinion on it and Kurt and Ram were both shoving each other and fighting throughout the number and it was really funny (though it was unintended). Thematically I still refuse to get behind the song tho (but that's a post for another day) Never Shut Up Again was so good!! Heather Duke absolutely ATE IT UP AND LEFT NO CRUMBS. I Say No was.. fine tho.

And the lighting was spectacular. There was specially colored lights for each of the Heathers that would shine on them after their big numbers and during Never Shut Up Again there's a REALLY cool thing where they rip off Duke's clothes to reveal Heather Chandler's red ones and then the lights turned to red and started flashing everywhere in the theatre. And during Dead Gay Son all the lights were rainbow colored. AND WHEN THE SCHOOL BLEW UP ALL THE LIGHTS JUST FLICKERED AND STUFF IT WAS SO COOL

Shine a Light was great. Fleming was absolutely hilarious and they all had these bedazzled jackets. When she asked for volunteers literslly all the students behind her raised their hands but she kept going anyway. There was a bit where after the "Steve, I'm ending our affair!" Part a spotlight shone on a random man in the audience and Fleming just flirts with that poor man. Like it's a lot it and it was hilarious. Later on in the stage door she says that it's improv every night and at the start of the show she picks an audience member and then writes it down on the board.

Speaking of the stage door: Everyone was so nice! We got selfies with them (that I will not be showing for privacy reasons) and some of them even signed my program!

Overall thoughts:

That was really good! Solid 8/10 from me. It holds up on par and sometimes even better than the original off bway cast! If you live in any of the cities they're touring to next, I would highly recommend buying tickets and checking it out if you can.

[lovingmusicalmen]

I've been watching so much theatre lately, and I really just want to talk about it and analyse the musicals and plays I've seen and my family and friends are fully done listening to me talk about it... if I set up like a completely separate blog to talk about the shows I see and kinda review them I guess? From like a theatre nerd POV, or do a podcast or something... would that be something anyone would be interested in?

Because I really want to talk about like major specifics of the shows I've seen lately - Six, Newsies, Bonnie and Clyde, Jersey Boys, Heathers... but I don't want to bore my family and friends but I figured there might be an audience for it somewhere on here?

... or maybe set up a discord server to talk about it or something?? I dunno, it was just a thought - let me know if anyone would be interested in that kinda thing from my hyper focused musical nerd brain 😂😅

[unlimited-rice-puddin]

"No Limits" Review: Simply breathtaking

It is so brilliant to watch a show in which they do almost everything right. With stunning performances and incredible songs, @NoLimitsMusical is truly extraordinary. Check out my full ★★★★★ review

There is no limit to the amount of talent both on stage and off at The Turbine Theatre with “No Limits – A Song Cycle” by Sam Thomas (more…) “”

[suzie81blog]

Press Review: Here & Now - The Steps Musical at The Alexandra Theatre

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A jubilant and nostalgic homage to one of Britain’s most beloved pop groups. Sensational! Back in February I had the privilege of speaking with award-winning director Rachel Kavanaugh and writer Shaun Kitcherner about their new project: Here & Now, a brand new musical based on the songs of British pop band Steps.  At the time, the casting process hadn’t yet started, but right…

[thequeereview]

Theatre Review: White Girl In Danger (Tony Kiser Theater, Off-Broadway) ★★★★

The soap opera at the heart of Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning A Strange Loop creator Michael R. Jackson’s uproarious new Off-Broadway musical, that gives the show its title and catchy recurring theme song, White Girl In Danger, is set in the town of “Allwhite” and features a story that is “Allwhite”, as the opening number tells us: “But this goes so much deeper than skin / It’s structured…

[selfindulgentmusicalreviews]

The Phantom of the Opera - Melbourne Arts Centre - 27 Jan 2023

Hello Musical Theatre fans! 

Well, I just took a whirlwind trip down to Melbourne to see not one, but two shows in the span of 48 hours. It was an amazing trip, full of everything that makes a trip good - a nice hotel, plans changing at the last minute, and never knowing whether or not you’re going to miss your flight home. 

Like most things these days, I’d already seen this particular production of Phantom in Sydney, but my best friend hadn’t seen it professionally, and I loved it so much I didn’t really have a choice :P 

Phantom is a bit of a special play for me; it’s probably the first show I’d seen professionally that actually stuck with me (I did see Oliver when I was about 11, but my memories of it are few and far between). I’d grown up with the music, and it’s one of my sister’s favourite shows of all time.

The Story

The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a man, disfigured from birth, who lives in the underbelly of an Opera House in Paris. He wears a mask that covers the disfiguration on his face, shielding him from the mockery and judgement of the world that he was subjected to throughout his life. He hears the voice of Christine Daae, a chorus girl, and develops an unhealthy obsession with her voice.  

Christine’s father (a famous violinist), had brought her to the opera house before falling ill and dying. According to the original book, Christine’s father would always tell her the story of the Angel of Music, since she was a little girl, and it was her favourite. In the musical, her father promises to send her the Angel of Music after he dies. The Phantom easily swoops in as her new mentor, a gift from her father, though he never reveals himself to her. 

When the Opera’s prima donna, Carlotta, walks out from their production of Hannibal due to their new managers dismissing the ‘opera ghost’ rumour, Christine is given a chance to sing for them, and is easily cast as the lead. Her success attracts the attention of Viscount Raoul de Chagny, a boy she grew up with who is now (with his family), a patron of the opera. 

What follows is a horrific descent into chaos and trouble, with Christine torn between her love for her old friend Raoul, and her love for this mentor that she believes has some connection with her beloved father. The Phantom’s passion and obsession for her leads to multiple deaths, a fallen chandelier, and a whole lot of trauma for everyone involved. 

The Phantom of the Opera has a movie version, which is… fine, but tends to fall into the trap of casting names instead of voices, which I find can really retract from the story-telling. But this isn’t about the movie!

There weren’t any major changes to this tale; but one thing I have to mention is that when Christine returns to the Phantom to give him back the ring, Raoul comes with her (insistently tugging at her hand to get her to walk away with him). This is different to the movie but I’m grateful for the change; there would be absolutely no way I’d let her back to the Phantom ALONE. 

Musical Numbers and Staging

The visuals behind this production of Phantom are absolutely breathtaking. The set is incredible, and I can see why it’s not something that can be brought to QPAC; I don’t think our stage is tall or wide enough. 

The show travels through an enormous number of sets, (the initial auction room, the stage for Hannibal, Christine’s dressing room, the route to the Phantom’s lair, then separately his actual lair, Andre and Firmin’s office… and that’s just Act 1). It’s mostly assisted through a rotating stage, with set pieces mysteriously appearing and disappearing in what feels like no time at all. 

The sets themselves are well detailed and visually stunning. My only tiny gripe is that when the Phantom first reveals himself to Christine through the mirror, even sitting in the second row it was hard to see him; I doubt it would’ve been easier any further back. 

It’s fun to watch the set pieces appear and I think that one of the really cool things is that the set transitions are sometimes incorporated into the movement of the characters. Raoul looks for Christine and the set turns as he’s searching, and it really does feel like we’ve followed him through the opera house into this new room. The leads also walk down steps that move in and out from the walls (and I always enjoy watching where the cast have to hook/unhook safety lines to costumes). 

I’m also impressed by how Andre and Firmin’s office during Notes feels claustrophobic with seven people in there, despite it being open to the rest of the front of the stage. It’s just little things like this that create variation between the visuals and make it even more fun to watch.

The costuming is beautiful and bold; every piece is so intricate and beautifully fitted to each character. My personal favourites are the outfits for Masquerade - both Meg and Christine’s dresses are so pretty, and I love Raoul’s Hussar outfit. Blake looks very dashing in it!   

Leads

The main reason we went and saw this twice, aside from how great it is, was for Blake Bowden and Josh Piterman, who played Raoul and the Phantom. I watched Blake in the lead role of Elder Price from Book of Mormon in 2018, and have been obsessed with him and his amazing family ever since. Josh Piterman played Gus/Growltiger in the 2016 production of Cats (which ranks up as one of my favourite musicals.)

When quarantine first started and Josh was back in Australia, (after performing as Phantom in the UK) I remember that he was hosting little digital quarantine parties on Instagram, where he’d invite musical theatre performers on to sing for everyone. Blake was one of his first guests, and he sang The Wizard and I! It was clearly foreshadowing :) 

Josh plays an amazing Phantom. He’s so poised and careful, every move calculated and refined. His voice radiates throughout the theatre and his first “INSOLENT BOY” gave me goosebumps! I love watching him through the song, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ as he coaxes Christine into singing higher and higher, how he’s fueled from her success and intoxicated by it. It’s such an excellent little journey to watch, and Josh does it so clearly and perfectly. He’s cautious and almost tentative with Christine, for her sake, but his as well - he hasn’t truly been around people in such a long time, and he doesn’t want to scare her off. It’s incredible to see the stark difference between the Phantom, a year later, as the creation of Don Juan and his jealousy and obsession has thrown him into madness. 

I have to admit, my heart broke when Christine kisses him, and you can see it through Josh’s entire body, the shock and horror and relief and devastation coursing through him. It’s a brilliant bit of acting (like all of it). It’s hard to love the Phantom at this point in the show but somehow Josh sucks that tiny last bit of humanity back into him, and it hurts to know just how different and brilliant the Phantom could have been, had the world been a little kinder to him. 

Watching Blake in this production has brought to my attention how small Raoul’s role really is, and how he doesn’t even get his own solo song. I obviously enjoyed every second Blake was onstage, but there definitely wasn’t enough of it. I particularly loved some subtle bits and pieces; Raoul’s initial reaction to Christine asking him to love her is almost hesitant, as he glances away to consider if that’s what he really feels. It only makes sense; they were children together very briefly, and if Il Muto only took about 6-8 weeks to produce, these two haven’t known each other that long to suddenly be in love. 

I appreciate Blake for what he brings to Raoul’s character, especially since Raoul’s character annoys me the entire way through the show. I enjoyed the way they paired him with Meg for Notes/Prima Donna, and that the two of them have a bit of a friendship blooming in the interests of protecting Christine. Watching him come to his decisions and have realisations at pivotal moments is just great storytelling. A special mention to the fact that gasping for air as he’s being hung isn’t intrusive while the focus is elsewhere.

Amy Manford is new to me; I haven’t seen her in anything else, but now I really want to. She plays Christine with the perfect innocence and naivety. Her anxious little breathing every time the Phantom does something mildly upsetting ties her character together in such a great way. My favourite part was watching her try and desperately signal to Andre, Firmin and Raoul that the Phantom is literally on stage with her, and once she realises they won’t listen, she practically vows to at least make it a good show. Her voice is pure and beautiful, and watching her Christine-excitement over reaching that insane E6 at the end of The ‘Phantom of the Opera’ is really fun. 

A special little shout out to Mietta White, who plays such a sweet but fierce and strong Meg. Not only is she a beautiful dancer, but her voice is amazing. Giuseppina Grech and Paul Tabone, our Carlotta and Piangi, were incredible as well. 

Ensemble

Surprisingly, I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the ensemble cast, but I think it’s because the vast majority of them are specifically ballerinas/dancers.

I’ve previously seen Lewis Francis in Book of Mormon (with Blake, funnily enough). We got quite close to him when he stood in the orchestra pit as the rifleman! 

Stage Door

So, I don’t know if anyone has been to the Melbourne Arts Centre, but we were down in the stalls. The centre is a round building, and to reach the stalls, you come in at ground level and go down an escalator, walk halfway around the building, go down another escalator, walk a little bit further, then go down TWO MORE flights of stairs until you finally reach the theatre… and then like 7 more large steps to your seats. 

It’s not a short way and I figured there was no way that we’d make it back to stage door before Blake or Josh managed to escape. But, the second the show finished, we RACED through the crowds, managed to find some mysterious stairs instead of taking the escalators, and found ourselves waiting at stage door in, I swear, no more than 5 minutes. 

And then we waited. 

And waited. 

And waited some more… 

And then it turns out, that THE Cameron Mackintosh had decided to go visit the cast and that they weren’t coming out any time soon, which I didn’t find out until the following day. So while I was a little disappointed at the time, I’m more excited by the fact that Cameron Mackintosh a) was in that room and b) got to witness the perfection that was this cast. 

[real-odark]

i think tumblr would appreciate my review....

[caramarafics]

Once again Lin Manuel Miranda has changed the concept of theater and Broadway as a genre.

On October 18, 2024 he and co-producer Eisa Davis released a concept album inspired by the 1979 cult classic film The Warriors. The movie follows the street gang the Warriors as they make their way from The Bronx to their home turf of Coney Island while being hunted by rival gangs and cops. One of the major differences between the film and the concept album is the switching of genders of the Warriors.

The album features a slew of veterans Broadway alum such as Phillipa Soo, Anessa Folds, Amber Gray, Joshua Henry, and Jasmine Cephas Jones while packing an astonishing list of artists such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Billy Porter, Ghostface Killah, RZA, Marc Anthony, Colman Domingo, Kim Dracula, and Shenseea.

From start to finish the album sucks you in and by the finale you are left wanting more but in the best way possible. The blending of multiple genres backed by the creative lyricism expected from Lin-Manuel Miranda makes this album an absolute must listen for anyone who loves Broadway, good storytelling, or just good music in general.

It's no longer a question of if this will get a Broadway adaptation rather WHEN we can expect the announcement. It's my hope though that we get a film adaptation straight to streaming with the original cast first, simply because I selfishly want to see Ms Lauryn Hill belting "If You Can Count" as many times as I want from the comfort of my home.

Go listen to this album.

[daughter-of-eden]

here life is BEAUTIFUL i saw Cabaret last weekend and it was one of the most gorgeous musicals i have ever seen. the interaction with the audience and the ability to make a story come alive with a limited set truly made for a unique experience.

i've seen a lot of mixed messages about the revival, but honestly it's so hard to compare the different versions when they all bring a different version of the story and emcee to the table. alan cumming portrayed a creepy/insane emcee, and while eddie redmayne might not have the weird factor, he certainly portrays the emcee as a puppet and an outside observer.

it is as if his version of emcee transcends the story itself, becoming a watcher over all of the individual storylines, but never fully getting involved. eddie portrayed the character like god watching down on his people and i think that interpretation was unexpected and wonderful. so for any fans of Cabaret, definitely try to get to nyc and see him and gayle rankin. they were amazing <3

[follow-the-ghostlight]

The way I have studied this musical since 2016 and have made it one of my longest standing hyperfixations is worrying, because I swear on my rare musical merch I have so many opinions and so many words. I love this musical so much that I plan to audition for a show a company 2 hours away from me is putting on. That is the closest I have ever gotten to being in or seeing this musical.

I have also convinced myself that the musical imploded cause of horrible casting decisions, because, like, HOW CAN YOU GO FROM MULTIPLE AWARDS AND BREAKING RECORDS TO NOW NOBODY’S EVER HEARD OF IT. More people have heard of WAY more niche musicals and it’s baffling to me. WHY oh WHYYY did they have to make the TV special that ALL OF AMERICA COULD SEE be the one with Hasselhoff. Why. Why did he have to be the one. To be frank, he sucks ass as this lead. Like, he’s maybe ok at singing, his acting is cheesy and hammy, and he is just absolutely not fit for that role at all. He’d do fine in an ensemble, but not the lead. He cannot bounce between tenor and baritone effectively, he does not sound or look like a different person when he “changes”, unlike Cuccioli and Warlow, his vibrato is out of control… I could keep going, but I won’t unless someone wants to hear it in dm or something lol.

And with the revival??? Why did they have to change the aesthetic??? Why did they have to make it over sexualized AND steampunk?? IT’S A GOTHIC MUSICAL!! IT IS NOT A PUNK ROCK CONCERT!! IT IS IN THE EXTENDED TITLE!!! I could go on forever about this. I am so mentally ill. I wrote a 4000+ word, 10-page, cited paper for fun about how it could be properly revived for broadway and although some of my thoughts and ideas have changed, I will definitely die on quite a few hills with the opinions I have. I’ll likely rewrite that paper over the summer or even make a video on YT discussing it, cause I wanted to make a Jekyll & Hyde iceberg video anyway. In any case, thanks for listening to my TED talk.

[forgthetheaterkid]

Review 1: Hamilton!

Rating: 5/5

How familiar I am with it: I’ve seen it twice on tour and I’ve listened to the cast album too many times to count

Characters: Each character was written so well and had many layers (like an onion) EXCEPT FOR PEGGY I WANT JUSTICE FOR MY GIRL

Songs: My judgements a wee bit iffy on this one since I’ve heard them all so many times, but they are all really good. They’re all bangers and are really catchy and the sadder songs rip out your nonexistent heart (The World Was Wide Enough has me tearing up EVERY TIME)

Plot: It’s a bit hard to tell where you are at times when you start listening to it, but otherwise it’s pretty easy to guess from the soundtrack alone. I also can’t really talk about how exciting the plot was because it was literally a dudes life (but the plot was definitely entertaining)

Overall thoughts: As much as I’m kinda sick of it, Broadway probably wouldn’t be as popular today without it. Heck, Hamilton was my first musical and it pulled me into the world of theatre. It’s definitely a fantastic musical and I highly recommend it (though if you haven’t listened to Hamilton in 2024, what are you doing, silly goose? Get on that!)

[lordoftheringsmusical]

Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale at the Watermill Theatre

25 July 2023 to 15 October 2023

Ahead of press night at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater tomorrow, let's look back at what critics and audiences had to say about the UK revival of The Lord of the Rings at the Watermill Theatre, which began previews exactly one year ago today:

Newspapers / news outlets

The Guardian (2 August 2023)

The Telegraph (2 August 2023)

The Times (2 August 2023)

WhatsOnStage (2 August 2023)

The Stage (2 August 2023)

Wokingham Today (2 August 2023)

Marlborough News (2 August 2023)

iNews (2 August 2023)

The Week (10 August 2023)

The Reading Chronicle (6 September 2023)

Bloggers / Tolkien websites

Tolkien Collector's Guide (31 July 2023)

The Spy in the Stalls (1 August 2023)

Curtain Call Reviews (1 August 2023)

Theatre & Tonic (2 August 2023)

Things We Enjoy (2 August 2023)

West End Best Friend (3 August 2023)

Musical Theatre Review (3 August 2023)

Beyond the Curtain (6 August 2023)

All That Dazzles (8 August 2023)

TheOneRing.net (10 August 2023)

Sadie takes the Stage (30 August 2023)

Theatre Plays UK (4 October 2023)

Extreme Improv xStreamed (9 October 2023)

Voir Tolkien (20 October 2023)

British Theatre Guide

Vloggers / video reviews

Theatre.Reviews with Paul Seven (3 August 2023)

Ellie Talks Theatre (7 August 2023)

loren hardy (9 August 2023)

MickeyJoTheatre (9 August 2023)

Barbara 2.0 (23 August 2023)

Flower Theatre (20 September 2023)

Everythings's Rosie Theatre Company (1 October 2023)

Tumblr reviews

@starssunsoftheinfinite x (23 August 2023)

@mischieffoal 1 2 3 (27 August, 7 October 2023)

@reallyhardy x (16 September 2023)

@iconuk01 x (6 October 2023)

@perplexingly 1 2 (8, 9 October 2023)

@unsightlythinker x (6 April 2024)

The date indicated refers to the date the review was published.

Picture sources: 1 2

[tinytimism]

if art gatsby doesn't have a broadway transfer then what's the point of living

[slozhnos]

great gatsby musical they could never make me hate you

[suzie81blog]

Press Review: Here You Come Again - The New Dolly Parton Musical at The Alexandra Theatre

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ “A heartwarming celebration of Dolly’s music and spirit…” Written by Bruce Vilanch with Gabriel Barre (who also directs) and Tricia Paoluccio (who also plays Dolly), Here You Come Again has now been adapted for the UK by acclaimed British playwright Jonathan Harvey following several successful runs across the United States. Set during the pandemic, we follow the story of Kevin…

[thequeereview]

Theatre Review: Anthony Rapp's Without You (New World Stages, Off-Broadway) ★★★★

As Anthony Rapp reflects at the start of his poignant one-man show Without You—breaking from the opening bars of “Seasons of Love”���it’s been half a lifetime since he originated the life-changing, career-defining role of videographer Mark Cohen in Jonathan Larson’s Rent. The seminal La Bohème-inspired “rock opera” (a phrase that Rapp admits initially “didn’t exactly fill him with confidence”) by…