For those who are deciding which London show to see, I'll offer my opinions of a few musicals I have recently seen: Top Hat, Billy Elliot, Singin' in the Rain, and Wicked. This is very subjective and many people may disagree with me, but here are my thoughts on these shows. Top Hat: Based on the 1930's Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers movie. I am a fan of old musical movies and I thoroughly enjoyed this show. The singing and dancing were very well done. The leads, secondary players, chorus, and orchestra were all outstanding. Two of the comedic players were so good they stole the show when they were featured. The costumes, hair styles, and sets were period perfect. The sets were cleverly constructed and expertly managed. The storyline of mistaken identity was a bit of fluff, but was adequate to support the many dance numbers, which was the point anyway. Except for the fact that Fred and Ginger just can't be replaced, it far surpasses the original movie. I'd see this several more times without tiring of it. Billy Elliot: Based on the nonmusical movie of about 10 years ago. I thought this was an excellent show. The storyline was compelling and the talent was outstanding. The boy who played Billy could do tap, ballet, and act extremely well. His portrayal of the boy's longing for his deceased mother brought some audience members to tears. Supporting players were very good. The sets were suggestions rather than elaborate sets, but were cleverly made. I'd see this one again. Continued...
Posted by
OP
England
375 posts
Part 2: Singin' in the Rain: Based on the 1950's Gene Kelly movie which was supposed to be set in the 1920's. It's famous for having a rain storm on the stage for the well known dance number. This show was fun, but I confess to feeling a little disappointed. They relied far too heavily on the novelty of having it rain on stage and the audience getting wet, but short changed the rest of the show. The sets were extremely basic, sometimes being nothing more than a back curtain. The costumes and hair styles did not always appear to be period, which I found distracting. The other dance numbers were at times mediocre. Even during the famous rain storm dance, the actor broke character by making eye contact with the audience members and deliberately trying to splash them. Perhaps it's unfair to compare the stage show to the famous movie but it's inevitable that people will, and Top Hat proved it could be done. Maybe some aspects of the dances in the movie couldn't have been reproduced on stage, but many could have and just weren't. Still, it was fun, and I'd see it again, but only if given free tickets and lodging. Wicked: This is a made up "prequel" to The Wizard of Oz. The singing talent in this show was outstanding, especially the wicked witch. But I just couldn't get beyond the fact that I didn't like what they did with the storyline. They really changed the basic personalities of the principal characters from the movie. Sometimes you just shouldn't mess with a beloved iconic story. If this doesn't bother you, it's a good show. I was glad I saw it, if only for the singing, but probably wouldn't see it again even given free tickets.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
Thanks D.D., I enjoyed reading this and appreciate the info.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
18 posts
I, too, loved Billy Elliot they have a rotating cast for the youth leads, and the kids we saw were extremely gifted. We also saw Les Miserables, which is enjoyable, but more like Broadway than the West End. Our favorite was Chariots of Fire, which is there until (I think) November. If you go, ask for the cheap seats behind the stage. You get an excellent view, and the show is performed on a rotating stage, so these seats turned out to be better than those in the orchestra, at half the price (26 pounds vs. 55-65). We found we got better seats at the theatre box office on the day of the show, rather than at the TKTS booth. The theater staff can tell you which seats have obstructed views, etc., and we found them generally more helpful and gracious. Regardless, avoid the other "half-price" outlets in the Leicester Square area.
Posted by
Chalfont, PA, USA
68 posts
You're killing me, can I leave now for London? :P