The Phantom of the Opera (March 28th, 2014)

The Phantom of the Opera

The Dream Cast Edition

I wasn't originally intending to write anything about this show as I wanted to just sit back and enjoy, so I didn't take mental notes the way I usually do. So I'm going totally off memory right now; just some things that stand out. 

This was, without a doubt, the best show I'd ever seen. It was my dream cast, for one, a perfect combination I never thought would happen, as it's a mix of understudies, alternates, and principles. I had my favourites in every single principle and supporting role, and I doubt this will ever happen again. I was a bit worried that after building up this idea of perfection in my head, the result would disappoint me. Thankfully, it was better than I could ever have imagined. I don't want to say it was flawless technically, because it wasn't, but I love little mistakes. But it was so energetic! Everyone was just so into it; all of the characters seemed so real, the emotion and expression was spot on. I'm getting teary just thinking about it. 

To keep it simple, I'm just going to talk about each person/character individually, mostly in point-form-ish notes. If it's something that involves more than one person, it's just going to go with whoever I feel like putting it with. 

Geronimo Rauch (Phantom) - His energy is back! Missed it the last time and glad it was back for this show. Big, powerful voice. Some trouble with the accent in the Final Lair. Overdoes the heavy breathing and writhing during Point of No Return. Great, great acting in the Final Lair though. Loved the kiss, and loved the choking Christine thing. I wasn't sure about it the first few times, but it's growing on me. It's seriously creepy, but it works. Olivia and Antony's reactions to this are perfect.  

Olivia Brereton (Christine) - I'm sort of out of words for Olivia. She's just so perfect in this role. I'd never really paid much attention to her during PONR for whatever reason, but she really does that song well! Great expressions, great use of body language and movement. I like that she's not quite so… touchy-feely (for lack of a better term) as Harriet. It was the balance between fitting the song, but still being appropriate for Christine. Wishing as usual was flawless. Her version of that song kills me every time (in a good way). Final Lair was spectacular; I still LOVE what she does with the "lust for flesh" and the Phantom's subsequent line; after she's heard his response, there's sort of this "Oh crap, what did I just do!" look on her face. Also love the fearless defence of Raoul. Anyway, don't think anyone wants another soliloquy so I'll wrap it up there, but Olivia is brilliant as Christine. I will never be tired of seeing her. 

Antony Hansen (Raoul) - Superhero Raoul! Very powerful, commanding stage presence, but also very attentive to Christine. It's obvious he cares about her very much, whereas some other Raouls come off as more self-obsessed. The heroic dive into the lake, the attempt to go after the Phantom when he gets into the lair, and fighting the noose (WOW that was scarily impressive. I was actually very concerned about him for a while; it took me a bit to remember that it was acting) all added to the Superhero image. Great performance; I love him and Olivia together. They're a very strong pair (that AIAOY kiss was…erm… passionate!), and I think they respond very well to each other.

Layla Harrison (Meg) - LAYLA-MEG! Same as Olivia, no more words for Layla. She's sublime. Love her during Notes/Prima Donna. Her expressions are brilliant; I love that her Meg is almost sassy in the way she reacts to Carlotta's being a complete diva. At one point, she backed up dramatically during the most obnoxious diva-moment. I loved it. It's just so Meg. I love that Layla's Meg has a big personality. She's just so expressive! Anyway, this might've been the last time I'll get to see Layla and Olivia together (unless it happens by luck or they both stay on; it's a good thing I realised this after I got back to the hotel or I would've been a wreck), and I'll very much miss it. The relationship between their two characters seemed stronger this time, which I loved. But the main point is: love Layla-Meg, she's practically perfect in every way. She adds so much dimension to the show. 

Lara Martins (Carlotta) - Lara was back in full force today; last time I saw her she was ill. Nice to see her Carlotta-attitude back on stage. 

Jeremy Secomb (Piangi) - I missed him! It's not that his cover isn't good, but Jeremy just draws out the comedic moments a lot longer and is good at reading the crowd's reaction to these moments, therefore being able to draw them out longer or finish, based on how the audience is taking them. 

Jacinta Mulcahy (Mme Giry) - She's settled nicely into the role without making it stale. Big voice, big stage presence. Love the contrast between her more muted portrayal and Layla's personality-filled Meg. 

No major bloopers this time, just Olivia having some scarf issues (how many ways can a scarf get caught on a person? Many, it seems) in Think of Me and Wishing. Not something anyone else would've noticed, I don't think. As usual, well handled. Hula Girl (ick) made an appearance during Masquerade again. Last time I saw Phantom from the front row, I really didn't connect to it at all, but this time was a totally different experience. I had so much fun at this show, and enjoyed it immensely. Can't wait to be back in less than a week, but it won't be the same without Layla-Meg :'( 

The Commitments (March 29th, 2014)

The Commitments

I'd heard a lot of good things about The Commitments from various sources, and so I was really looking forward to seeing it. I was especially excited to see Sarah O'Connor in something else, as I really loved her Eponine. As it turned out, neither Sarah nor Killian Donnelly, the other performer I wanted to see, were on tonight. I don't have a problem with understudies (most of my favourites are understudies), but it was a little disappointing, especially since there was no announcement/insert/posting that there would be understudies on. Anyway, onto the show.

I wasn't a fan. I'm not sure where all the glowing reviews were coming from, because I was bored to death for most of the show. It's not really my kind of music, but it wasn't the music that was the issue. I thought every song was entertaining and well performed. All of the actors did well in their roles, had great voices, and lots of energy. I'm not actually sure which understudies were on for Imelda and Deco (it wasn't posted or announced anywhere!), but they both did a good job. 

What really got me was the story. There wasn't one. It seemed as if the writers had made a half-hearted attempt to fashion a story that would get certain songs into certain parts of the show. The songs had no significance to their placement in the show, there really was no purpose to anything… it just didn't make sense. It would've been better if they'd removed all attempt at storytelling and just done it as a concert.

The worst part for me was the ending. They made everyone stand up, and then proceeded to perform four songs (or maybe three long ones?). I wanted to stay seated as I'm fighting an ankle injury at the moment and the day of walking had done it in, but I couldn't see anything. Then I proceeded to get elbowed (nearly in the face a few times) by the obese woman standing next to me. Not a fun experience.

While the performances are strong, The Commitments lacks drive and purpose. It's a concert that wastes a good half hour on poorly thought out, incomprehensible (maybe that's just me; I'm terrible with Irish accents but this show seemed particularly bad for it) dialogue that has no impact on the main issue (the music). I definitely would not recommend it, unless you are a fan of the movie or that kind of music in general. 

The Phantom of the Opera (March 17th, 2014)

The Phantom of the Opera

Just a quick review covering this show. I didn't see a lot during the first act so I can't be as detailed as I usually am (and also I was tired, and just wanted to watch for once instead of analysing). But I had Antony on as Raoul, so he's worth a mention, and of course the perfection that is Olivia Brereton as Christine deserves one as well, plus a few others.

Olivia first - she is absolutely captivating no matter where you're sitting in the theatre. Her facial expressions are readable from way in the back, but not so large that when you're in the front they're overwhelming. It was her Think of Me that pulled me out of the panic attack; I was standing in the hallway, heard her singing and went back in to watch (intending to come back out afterwards) and from then on I was mostly fine. Still shaky, but I was able to watch the show again. And once I'd moved to the stalls, I was completely involved in the story again. So yeah, that's my new word for Olivia; captivating. 

Antony is my favourite Raoul for one reason: his Raoul is completely badass. He makes Sean's Raoul seem very girly and wimpy by comparison (just as I was starting to warm up to Sean, Antony has to go and be brilliant. Typical ;) ). He's a very courageous Raoul (I wanted to cheer when he did the dive into the lake. I missed that detail so much!), and he's not arrogant. He gives off a more protective vibe, and it's more believable that Christine would choose him in the end. I'm 100% team Raoul, but that doesn't mean I like Raoul. I just think he's better for Christine than the Phantom. But despite still being a bit of a jerk, Antony's Raoul seems to go to lengths to protect and do what he thinks is best for Christine.  For Antony's Raoul, his chauvinism is merely a reflection of the time period, not a dominant characteristic particular to Raoul. He's a more likeable Raoul, despite being completely badass (he looks as though he's about to rip the Phantom's head off at one point. It was beautiful). 

Gero was awesome as usual, but seemed to have less energy than he normally does. I'll attribute that to his just coming back from holiday. Still liked him, but missed some of the usual fire during the Final Lair.

Marc V, the understudy Piangi, is improving. He still doesn't quite have the comic flair of Jeremy, but he's gotten much better since I last saw him. He's learning to read the crowd's reaction, try different things, and take risks. 

Honestly didn't pay much attention to Cat during this show or the last, so I can't tell you whether she's improved or not. I guess all that says is that she's easy to ignore… that can't be a good thing, but I guess it's better than my getting annoyed because I don't like the way she does things? Oh well. I want to like her, I really do, I just don't. 

As usual, you can't take your eyes off Layla during the group dance numbers. She's just so expressive! But I am beginning to quite like one of the other dancers; not sure who she is, but she does a killer penche (it's probably one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my life), and I think the same dancer is the butterfly in Masquerade (I'm basing this on flexibility, approximate build/height, and shape of jawline… so I might be wrong), but I like the effortless flexibility and the ease of movement. If she could just do something with her face, she'd rival Layla for attention-drawing. I think this girl is also the dancer who does the 'walk off' at the end of Angel of Music, and I wish she'd slow it down a bit! I always think that's an effective moment, that last dancer slowly leaving the stage, and now it's been rushed to the point of being sort of pointless. 

I think that's pretty much it… if I think of anything else, I shall update.  

Just to let you know...

Hey all, so just to clear up some stuff for those of you who might've seen my tweets from Phantom tonight and gotten worried: all is fine.

I had a panic attack about half way through Hannibal and had to get up and leave (I am SO sorry to all the performers and audience about that! If I could've sorted myself out a different way, I would have). It wasn't related to the show, but it came out of nowhere and I was freaked out. The ushers were wonderful, and came out to check on me right away. I ended up sitting in an usher seat near the back for the rest of the first act because I wasn't sure if it would happen again. For the second act, I was moved down to the stalls to be near a door; I ended up in Row C (2nd row) right next to the door, and I was fine the rest of the show. I completely forgot about the first act about 5 minutes into the 2nd. The show was just so well done. Olivia is flawless, Gero is terrifyingly awesome, and Antony is just completely badass (excuse the language, but it's the best description for his Raoul). It was an incredible performance and I enjoyed the second act immensely. I was a blubbering mess during the final lair. 

But I'm completely ok. I actually got to see some cool things sitting in the Usher's seat; there was a women standing in the back taking notes and dancing along to the choreography up until the end of the first act and I saw Scott Davies walk in. I was escorted down to my new seat through the back stairs; I walked right past Olivia's Wishing costume and two scores hanging up. I wanted to stop and hug them (fangirl moment - Wishing dress is my favourite costume in the history of theatre). But these little things helped me to feel a lot better.

So thank you for your concern; I'm still a bit shaken up (at the moment it's more because I hugged Lara and apparently she's got a stomach bug and I have really bad emetophobia, so it'll be a tense 48 hours) but I'm completely ok! 

XOXOXOXO 

Matilda (March 16th, 2014)

Matilda

Hi all; just a quick little review since I saw a new Matilda, and because it was an interesting show.

Tasha Chapple as Matilda

The new Matilda (or Newtilda, if you will) was Tasha Chapple. This was only, I think, her second performance. Since it was an early performance, then she can only get better. And that is saying something. The only thing I think she needed to improve upon was her facial expressions during the first act (particularly Naughty). With Naughty, she was singing her way through the song, not acting it, and didn't quite have the dance moves down yet. But that will come with practice. She has a very strong voice; not just her singing, but she enunciates beautifully, and her voice travels very well. You could hear everything she was saying perfectly (when I saw Lollie I found I was missing half of what she said). She was a bit shaky on "Anymore" in Quiet; she had the note, but she didn't look or sound too sure of herself. But again, that will come with practice. Her second act acting was a huge improvement, and there were flashes of potential in the first act; the hug with Mis
s Honey was very well done. She sort of paused, leaning forward, pulled back, and then just went for it. It was very effective. The other thing… she's not very small or vulnerable looking. If you've seen Matilda, you'd know there's that moment when Matilda is first revealed, and the audience all goes "Oh…" because she looks so small and pathetic. But Tasha didn't really give off that impression. She's taller than Lollie and Lottie but not that tall… not sure what it was. She just didn't look very vulnerable. But all in all, a very strong Matilda, who can only get better. 

I adore this Lavender, Emily Robins. She has so much energy, is so exuberant, and goes completely over the top, which helps Lavender to stand out from the other kids. Yes, Lavender is a completely obnoxious character, but Emily makes her hilarious as well. A very good performance from her. 

The temporary stopping of the show

Only other thing I want to mention about this show was the technical issues! Towards the end of "School Song"; mics seemed to be going in and out. Sometimes you could hear them, sometimes you couldn't. They finished the song, then the lights on the stage went back to normal and the kids were beckoned off the stage. Beautifully done; they marched right off, staying in character. The lights in the theatre stayed off, and the break lasted between five and ten minutes. Not a huge disruption, but by the time "Bruce" came around, the kids sitting near me were very restless. Later on in the show, during "Quiet", Matilda's stack of books didn't start rising when they were supposed to. It was only a few moments late, but still noticeable. Tasha handled it well; if you hadn't seen the show before you wouldn't've known. That's the other thing about Tasha; when she messed up a little bit, it didn't rattle her at all. She didn't rush to fix it; in that respect, she seemed very sure of herself.

Anyway, that's my review of Matilda. Based on Tasha and Lollie, the current Matildas are in great shape, so definitely recommend going and catching a show. 

Favourite Costumes - The Phantom of the Opera

So I've been into costume making lately (as you may be able to tell by Hannibear), so I thought I'd make a post with my favourite costumes in shows and why I like them. Starting with my favourite show, of course! I've tried to use recent West End pics when available, but some I couldn't find, so I had to make do. Enjoy!
(Not in order of favourite-ness)

Wishing Dress + Cloak

My absolute favourite costume in the entire show. I love the gorgeous shades of blue, the dress is so beautifully tailored, the red/blue contrast with the cloak and scarf is perfect - I just really like everything about this ensemble. One of these days (you know, when I'm a millionaire from all the books I've written) I'm going to have one made for myself, just so I can look at it all the time. The time I saw it up close (thank you, Harriet!) is one of the highlights of my life. That's not as sad as it sounds.

Meg Masquerade
Here's the catch… I only like Layla's version. Cat's is way to stiff and puffy around the skirt bit, and it looks like a really bad half-tutu. Layla's flows much more nicely. Also, I love the purply-pinky-red colour. It's really unique, and so pretty! I like that it still stands out on stage, even though it's not really bright or sparkly.












Angel of Music/Music of the Night
(sorry about the photo; 'twas the only one of the front I could find)
I love this; it's so elegant and simple. I have a skating dress modelled after it, I like it that much. I like that its shape suits all body types; it looks just as good on super-tall Olivia as it does on tiny Harriet. I also like that it matches the Degas tutu Meg is wearing in that scene, it connects the two (reminder that Christine used to dress like that too; an echo of her past). If you look at the back of the dressing gown, you'll see that it's all sparkly - I would kill to see that up close, but sparkles make this outfit all the more elegant.

 Hannibal
I LOVE the Hannibal slavegirl outfit! It's so swishy and bright and sparkly. It must be an absolute b-word to dance in (that thing is heavy) but it's so gorgeous. I love Christmas, so I love Christmas colours, so of course I love the red and green together. Red and gold and green and gold are also favourite combinations of mine, so all three together is beautiful. I like that it's bright without being obnoxious, and simple yet detailed at the same time. I'm not a huge fan of really busy costumes (eg. Meg Gypsy Girl). I also like that all the bodices are unique.

Butterfly
It usually looks more purple than green onstage, and I love purple. It's just really sparkly and twirly and I love the wings. I love anything that has things hanging from the arms/wrists; I think if the dancer has graceful arms it makes the costume look even more elegant. At the same time, it's kind of a playful costume. I don't really know how to describe it. I just like it a lot.

Triton Girl
Light blue/turquoise is another favourite colour of mine. Blue and  gold/silver is another favourite combination of colours. I love that this incorporates different shades. It's a really elegant, sophisticated costume, and really stands out against the mass of pinks/reds/blacks in Masquerade.

Aminta
I used to absolutely hate this costume. It was my least favourite in the entire show up until recently. But probably around November I started to appreciate the tailoring, the swishy-ness, the way it moves on stage - now I really like it. Actually, I really like when the actress just walks around because I like watching the dress swish. It's kind of mesmerising. It's just a really cool dress. I'd love to know what's under the skirt bit; how do they get it to 'swish' that much? Is it super heavy or is there some sort of hoop skirt underneath? Ah, the questions. I'm still not hugely fond of the colour (doesn't look good with some actresses' colouring - Sofia I'm looking at you. Not hugely fond of it on Anna, either) but I quite like it overall.





Degas Tutu
I love the silhouette of this (I pretty much love anything Degas in general), I like that they kept the colour and decoration simple. I also really like the dance the BGs do during Little Lotte/Angel of Music (hate that scene, so I always watch the dancing. If you haven't tried this, do. It's really cool. They replicate all these poses from Degas' work). Really I just like the simplicity of this outfit. It looks good on all the different body types (well, as different as 5'0"-5'4" ballet dancers can be), and I love the way the skirt falls. Simple but effective.
(also, hairbows. I love them with the curls. So darn beautiful; I wish my hair curled so I could replicate that look).








I also adore the Phantom's black cape (SPARKLY), but don't have a picture of it.

And now for some least favourites (not all. Just some):


Meg's Gypsy Girl
Ok, I do like the way the skirt moves on this one. But it's such a busy costume and it's on stage for so short a time… I don't know, I just think something simpler and less fussy would've been better. I don't passionately hate it, but it's not my favourite.

Star Princess
Again, I don't passionately hate it. Just not a fan. I don't love that the sleeves slip so far away from the dress (they're so floppy and the elastics on the current ones are dark brown… it looks awful). I also don't like that the bodice piece sticks out so much. It just looks weird. I wish the skirt on the West End ones was a little lighter and a little less orange. But I don't really dislike it, I just think there are a lot of improvements that could be made to it.












Goldfish
All I have to say is: that headpiece! Ew times a thousand. I pity the actress who has to wear that monstrosity. Goldfish don't have tails on their heads. Or whatever the heck that thing around the eyes is. I don't like how it looks, and it can't be uncomfortable. Fortunately this is not one of the standout costumes, so it doesn't bother me too much during the show.










I don't have pictures of these, but I also don't like the Gypsy Girl (Masquerade) or Triangle Girl (Masquerade). Gypsy Girl I just don't like the colouring or the wig. I'd prefer a longer wig, or take away the mask. It's just too much going on around the face. That shade of red just isn't my favourite. It kind of sucks because that's what Layla wears during Masquerade so I'm always looking at it. I wish she wore Butterfly or Triton. Triangle girl I think the criss-cross tights are very unflattering and make the actress look thicker than she is, and that skirt looks like it's made up of medieval codpieces.

And I have a passionate hatred for the Hula Girl outfit in Masquerade. It's not an attractive costume in design or construction, nor does it suit the occasion (or time period) at all. It's my pet peeve, and I'm very happy when it's not on stage. I just really, really hate it.

So ends my favourite/least favourite costumes in Phantom!