On the Town ... Regent's Park Open Air Theatre ... GO!!

[Bruce Wall]

In advance of the Bernstein centenary celebrations - and quite right too - I went to the first preview of ON THE TOWN at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre tonight.  IT IS ALREADY BREATHTAKING.  (I realise that this is NOT ballet - but it was of course inspired by the success of a [stage] ballet - and how many musicals can actually say that!!! ... with, of course, the original choreographer and composer in Broadway and London tow!!!)  

 

I kept thinking how I wished that FANCY FREE was in place of The Age of Anxiety in next year's RB Bernstein homage.  Just think how many younger people in London have NEVER seen that Robbins masterwork.  Just think of the thrilling narrative/balletic combinations at the Royal Ballet to cast those three sailors from just now - (Think Muntagirov; Ball; Sambe or Clark, Richardson, McRae;  Think Campbell; Zuchetti and Hay; Think Dyer, Sissens or Dixon; think Edmunds, Brændsrød or Donnelly, think Churches, Yudes or Di Primo);  and then there are the two principal female slots: (Think Morera and Hayward;  Think Takada and Naghdi;  Just Think of O'Sullivan and Stix-Brunell or Nunez and Katsura; Lamb and McNally, etc.) .... Oh, well ...   but I get off topic.  

 

What I wanted to say is that there is A LOT of Choreography by Drew Onie in this production of the Bernstein - and indeed more actual ballet steps than in, say, Untouchables (which perhaps MAKES it fitting to be included here.)  In any event IT IS WONDERFUL ... and the entire cast - including a touching Danny Mac ... is totally BOFFO!  

 

Buy your tickets now ... I have a feeling after its opening next week there are going to be very few left.  It deserves to be sold out.  It deserves to move.  They just don't write shows like this anymore.  What a genius Bernstein was.  Such STUNNING variety - such brilliant orchestrations (thank you Mr. Derring) and colour throughout.  It dazzles!!

 

You can see why Megan Fairchild and Misty Copeland wanted to do Miss Turnstiles on Broadway but a season and a half ago.  This would be a brilliant outing for Robbie Fairchild (or Amar Ramasar - who is to do Jigger in Carousel on Broadway next season) and Mrs. Fairchild - the truly extraordinary Tiler Peck.  How I would love to see Brandon Lawrence (does he sing?) and Anna Rose O'Sullivan (who most definitely does) in it.  Why?  'Cos this show is but unmitigated joy from top to bottom and oh, so Chock Full of Nuts!!   As any old time New Yorker will tell you that means you can smell its coffee a mile off.  It peculates from right up over the signage ... and its aroma - I promise you - is simply intoxicating.  

 

Edited May 19, 2017 by Bruce Wall

[Fonty]

Thanks for that, Bruce.

 

My husband had expressed a wish to go to see a musical for his birthday in June.  Guess which one I have just booked tickets for....

[Scheherezade]

Better than An American in Paris, Bruce?

[Mary]

22 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

In advance of the Bernstein centenary celebrations - and quite right too - I went to the first preview of ON THE TOWN at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre tonight.  IT IS ALREADY BREATHTAKING.  (I realise that this is NOT ballet - but it was of course inspired by the success of a [stage] ballet - and how many musicals can actually say that!!! ... with, of course, the original choreographer and composer in Broadway and London tow!!!)  

 

I kept thinking how I wished that FANCY FREE was in place of The Age of Anxiety in next year's RB Bernstein homage.  Just think how many younger people in London have NEVER seen that Robbins masterwork.  Just think of the thrilling narrative/balletic combinations at the Royal Ballet to cast those three sailors from just now - (Think Muntagirov; Ball; Sambe or Clark, Richardson, McRae;  Think Campbell; Zuchetti and Hay; Think Dyer, Sissens or Dixon; think Edmunds, Brændsrød or Donnelly, think Churches, Yudes or Di Primo);  and then there are the two principal female slots: (Think Morera and Hayward;  Think Takada and Naghdi;  Just Think of O'Sullivan and Stix-Brunell or Nunez and Katsura; Lamb and McNally, etc.) .... Oh, well ...   but I get off topic.  

 

What I wanted to say is that there is A LOT of Choreography by Drew Onie in this production of the Bernstein - and indeed more actual ballet steps than in, say, Untouchables (which perhaps MAKES it fitting to be included here.)  In any event IT IS WONDERFUL ... and the entire cast - including a touching Danny Mac ... is totally BOFFO!  

 

Buy your tickets now ... I have a feeling after its opening next week there are going to be very few left.  It deserves to be sold out.  It deserves to move.  They just don't write shows like this anymore.  What a genius Bernstein was.  Such STUNNING variety - such brilliant orchestrations (thank you Mr. Derring) and colour throughout.  It dazzles!!

 

You can see why Megan Fairchild and Misty Copeland wanted to do Miss Turnstiles on Broadway but a season and a half ago.  This would be a brilliant outing for Robbie Fairchild (or Amar Ramasar - who is to do Jigger in Carousel on Broadway next season) and Mrs. Fairchild - the truly extraordinary Tiler Peck.  How I would love to see Brandon Lawrence (does he sing?) and Anna Rose O'Sullivan (who most definitely does) in it.  Why?  'Cos this show is but unmitigated joy from top to bottom and oh, so Chock Full of Nuts!!   As any old time New Yorker will tell you that means you can smell its coffee a mile off.  It peculates from right up over the signage ... and its aroma - I promise you - is simply intoxicating.  

 

 So, just to be clear, Bruce, you liked the show?

:-)

 

(chock full of nuts??)

 

I'm booking tomorrow.

[Bruce Wall]

1.  Unveiling the mystery of 'Chock full o'nuts .. here. 

 

2.  Yes, I really did enjoy it.  That this was the first preview performance - and because of the amount of rain in the previous couple of days it is quite possible that they didn't have a dress rehearsal  - or certainly may not have got through the entire thing once.  On that basis- this was - in a word - miraculous.  

 

3.  Is it 'better' than AAIP?  No, I wouldn't say better ... It would be like comparing apples with oranges ... They fall under the same period category but their individual tastes and takes are entirely distinctive.  AAIP is loosely based on a land-marked film but is - as Wheeldon quite rightly has frequently pointed out - almost entirely re-fashioned into a something new for today.  ON THE TOWN was written IN the period that AAIP seeks to celebrate.  It's book is of its time - and a quality one at that.  Reference the steady laughter on Friday night.  The Comden and Green didn't need to be updated .... AAIP's contemporary slanted book sadly sometimes clunks - or at least it did for me.  The scores for both are magnificent - but the Bernstein with its very original construct is much more of a unified whole - and yet - under that same umbrella's fix - celebrates a most remarkable diversity.  There is no comparison between the pit orchestras and the overall sound quality in London between OTT and AAIP.  OTT wins (jazz) hands down.  (In Paris AAIP had what amounted to a small symphony orchestra - and that was quite a different kettle of fish  

 

4.  Mea Culpa at getting some of the names wrong in the former post  ... It is Drew McOnie who directed/choreographed this very well thought out production and Tom Deering is the fantastic MD.  

 

5.  Here's a comment from the Theatreboard about the first preview which was most apt ...

"Saw this last night. A few first night teething problems, screeching parrakeets, one of the male chorus losing his shoe into the audience in the opening number, a non collapsing dinasour, issues with retracting and removing sets, Siena Kelly playing Ivy falling down a gap between the stage and one of the entrance ramps, however in the best tradition the show carried on. 

This is another show where dance is first and foremost and it holds its own with the current crop in the west end. The stand out in the first half was a ballet of a gay sailors encounter on his leave in New York. The cast were all excellent with Danny Mac showing he has the chops to lead a show. The resolution did seem a little rushed but overall this has makings of a five star production."

 

Agree with that gay encounter was most sensitively handled ... and the backing of the song at its end made it especially poignant ... much more so than the glued on affair that is the sexual awakening of Henri in AAIP.  

 

There is, I promise, much to enjoy in OTT.  .  

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Bruce Wall

[Bruce Wall]

 Here's another viewer's take from the third performance.  Seems it is growing in its stealth.  Agree about Lee - she was enervating - and I had no idea she was still in College herself.  Just so much potential on show.  

 

Thoroughly enjoyed this. The music is probably one of my favourite scores, and there's some lovely songs that were cruelly omitted from the film. The atmosphere as it got dark was really quite magical. I find McOnie's choreography a little samey at times but the dream ballet in the second act and the Lonely Town sequence were just lovely. I've always liked Lizzy Connelly before but found her vocals in her first number a little weak, but otherwise she was fab. The new talents in this are brilliant, especially Miriam-Teak Lee as Claire. Can't believe she hasn't even graduated from drama school! Danny Mac was a lovely singer and terrific dancing from everyone. The plot's a bit thin, the script a bit hokey (and I always hated the fiancé character and his continued refrain) but it's a fantastic night out. Already plotting a return trip.
 

 

[BMC]

So glad I and a friend managed to pick up the last two tickets for yesterday's matinee. The whole performance is great but the choreography and dancing are just terrific. Loved the colourful costumes and how each member of the cast had their own colour, whatever they were wearing.  We were all very happy campers by the end, despite being a bit muffled at times in our fleeces!

[Fonty]

I meant to say that I really enjoyed it as well.  Fabulous costumes and great staging.