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 Theatre reviews, Guys & Dolls + Gone with the Wind |
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 28th June 2007, 12:00 PM
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 BuzzJack Gold Member
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Any theatre reviews posted on the forum will be added into this thread to be easily found.
This post has been edited by prettyinpink: 20th July 2007, 10:04 AM |
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28th June 2007, 12:16 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
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Prettyinpink I'm not getting direct to the page from any of those linksand the BBc one is page not found
Edited This post has been edited by Baytree: 28th June 2007, 04:59 PM |
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28th June 2007, 01:54 PM
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Take me as I am....
Joined: 31 March 2006
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GUYS & DOLLS
----------------- I put some onto word: http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/art...s_feature.shtml 17th June 2008 Shawn Williamson Guys and Dolls @ Empire By site contributor Spencer Leigh Frank Loesser’s classic musical runs at the Liverpool Empire until June 9th. Spencer Leigh reports. “Guy And Dolls” is one of the great stage musicals, although I had only seen the 1955 film version with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. It was revived in the West End in 2005 and such actors as Patrick Swayze, Don Johnson, Ewan McGregor and Claire Sweeney have been involved. The original production was directed by Michael Grandage and this touring version is directed by LIPA graduate, Jamie Lloyd. It arrived at the Liverpool Empire this week and will continue until June 9. The touring version does not feature international stars and we have a soap star and a “Pop Idol” contestant in the leading roles. Shawn Williamson (Barry from “EastEnders”) had lampooned his desperation for work in Ricky Gervais’ “Extras”, but he is a fine actor and, although his singing would not cause Frank Sinatra any headaches, he copes very well with the songs. Darius Danesh The impossibly tall Darius Danesh has it easier as almost anyone could sing better than Marlon Brando. He is a little young for his role as the die-hard gambler, but he is very engaging, and his relationship with the small Sarah Brown (Louise Dearman) creates its own comic momentum, especially in the lavish dance routine when they visit Havana. The Salvation Army girl gets drunk and performs a very funny and immaculately timed version of “If I Were A Bell”. The musical is constructed around Damon Runyon’s depiction of petty criminals and card-sharps in New York. There is no sense of danger about any of these characters, even the big-time gangster Big Jule (Miltos Yerolemou) from Chicago, but that was the intention from the outset. It is, after all, subtitled “A musical fable of Broadway”. The characters are all played larger than life and with such joie de vivre that it is like turning the pages of a comic book. The fast-talking, slang-infested dialogue is fun but hard to follow and in particular, I had difficulty with what the showgirl, Miss Adelaide (Lynsey Britton), was saying. It hardly matters as the plot is predictable and for that matter, full of holes: for example, surely no one in 1950 could have gone from New York to Havana one afternoon for dinner and returned the same evening. "The characters are all played larger than life and with such joie de vivre that it is like turning the pages of a comic book" Spencer Leigh The main reason for seeing “Guys And Dolls” is the score and even after nearly 60 years, this is exciting and vibrant. It is wonderful to hear it being played by an 18 piece orchestra conducted by James Dunsmore and sung and danced by a large cast. The dance number which leads into “Luck Be A Lady” is sensational, but the high point is the gospel pastiche, “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat” performed by the whole cast led by a Stubby Kaye-lookalike, Christian Patterson, as Nicely Nicely Johnson. In summary, “Guys And Dolls” is a marvellous night out and it is recommended highly. I must just add a postscript - Frank Loesser was a bad-tempered composer and when he was out with his wife, he was known as “the evil of two Loessers”. And that fabulous joke has a wonderful provenance – George Martin told it to me. This post has been edited by prettyinpink: 20th July 2007, 09:55 AM |
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28th June 2007, 01:55 PM
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Take me as I am....
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EdinburghGuide.com
Guys and Dolls Music and lyrics Frank Loesser Starring Darius Danesh (Sky Masterson); Shaun Williamson (Nathan Detroit); Lynsey Britton (Miss Adelaide); Louise Dearman (Sarah Brown) Date 15 June 2007 Venue Edinburgh Playhouse Address 18-22 Greenside Place Reviewer Megan Royan This 1950 hit musical was adapted by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows from a short story by Damon Runyon The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown. The music and lyrics were written by Frank Loesser and this award winning show was first produced on Broadway, opening on 24 November 1950. Darius Danesh as Sky Masterson We see the return of Darius Danesh to the stage as the sexy Sky Masterson…and yes, he lives up to the standard set by Marlon Brando in the film version released in 1955! His fans are just delighted to see him in the flesh and he doesn't disappoint as he croons his way through the production. Shaun Williamson is just delightful as Nathan Detroit; great singer, delivers every line with humour and passion, and even blends in well with the dancers (although I stress 'blends in'!). A sheer pleasure to see this well known actor in a role that could have been written for him. Lynsey Britton plays a convincing Miss Adelaide with a very realistically 'grating' New York accent. Her character is playful and sassy and she pulls it off fantastically. Louise Dearman completes the foursome and performs the role of the prudish Sarah Brown very convincingly. The highlight of this performance was the scene in Havana where she delighted the audience with her 'amateur' dancing and steady intoxication. This classic Broadway tale is aimed at anyone who loves musicals and comedy. The story revolves around the activities of New York petty criminals and professional gamblers. Nathan Detroit runs an illegal 'floating craps game', despite constant encouragement to 'go straight' by his long-suffering fiancée of 14 years, Miss Adelaide, a nightclub singer at the 'Hotbox'. Due to strong police activity by Lieutenant Brannigan, the only spot that Nathan can find for his craps game is the Biltmore Garage. But, as nothing runs smoothly for Nathan, the owner requires $1000 upfront, money Nathan does not have. The pressure is on as a surge of 'high rollers' come into town looking for some action. While trying to come up with the money, Nathan comes across Sky Masterson, who reputably will bet on anything. He places a wager that Sky cannot secure a date with the straight-laced Miss Sarah Brown who runs the Save-A-Soul Mission. The Havana date All looks up for Nathan but Sarah's Mission is in trouble and when Sky promises his 'marker for "one dozen genuine sinners", she yields to his request and they go off on a date to Havana. During their time away, they begin to fall in love with each other. The two themes run in parallel: Nathan's problems with Miss Adelaide and her persistence that they get married as well as trying to run the craps game without her knowledge, ratcheted up by Sky's bet; does he stay living his existing lifestyle or is the pull of love too much? Sky makes good on his marker by betting on the roll of the dice for the guys at the craps game's souls. They all appear at the Save-A-Soul Mission just in time to save the Mission from near closure. This is by far the climactic scene of the show and we see the outstanding performance by the whole cast in their rendition of Sit down you're rockin' the boat which had the audience on the edge of their seats! Sarah fatefully runs into Adelaide and they realise they cannot fight love any longer. Nathan had told Adelaide he was going to a prayer meeting and could not elope with her. Sarah confirms this to be true, to Adelaide's relief; after all this time he actually told her the truth. The show ends happily with Nathan and Adelaide's long-awaited wedding, Nathan having gone (almost) straight. Sky joined the Mission and married Sarah, a truly reformed character. A fantastic performance by the whole cast and a must see for all musical lovers © Megan Royan. 15 June 2007. Published on www.edinburghguide.com See also: Run: Tuesday 12 - Saturday 23 June 2007 |
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28th June 2007, 01:57 PM
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Take me as I am....
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Fri 15 Jun 2007
Proving that boys will be boys JOYCE MCMILLAN GUYS AND DOLLS **** PLAYHOUSE, EDINBURGH IT SHOULD be the most old-fashioned show in the world, Frank Loesser's great 1950 musical Guys And Dolls. Written at the height of post-Second World War reaction against any idea of sexual equality, his stage adaptation of Damon Runyon's wonderful stories of mid-20th century New York street life features two heterosexual love stories of the most traditional kind. In the main plot, the handsome, high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson falls for Salvation Army "mission doll" Sergeant Sarah Brown; like Shakespeare's Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, they are a couple with other things on their minds who suddenly find themselves in the grip of a life-force that overwhelms all their resistance. And in the comic strand of the story, we have the tale of Sky's pal Nathan Detroit - organiser of the local illegal c**p game - and his fiancée of 14 years, Miss Adelaide, an ageing night-club dancer increasingly desperate for that "cute little band of gold" on her finger. In this romance, marriage is a trap for men and a goal for women - so much so that not getting married, as Miss Adelaide's famous lament explains, can give a girl a perpetual cold, and getting married will almost certainly make a guy feel under the weather, possibly for the rest of his life. So why does this corny old stuff still exert such a grip on our imaginations that Michael Grandage's now almost legendary production, playing this week and next at the Edinburgh Playhouse, emerges as the most thrilling musical to visit Scotland's biggest dance stage this year? First, because after a brief 1970s flirtation with the radical idea that gender roles are not set in stone, popular culture in Britain and America has slumped straight back into the age of Bridget Jones, pop evolutionary biology and the old generalisation that men are commitment-phobic, whereas women have a vested interest in nesting and fidelity; a world-view that gives a strangely contemporary edge to Miss Adelaide's complaint about her inconclusive romance. Then in the second place, there's the astonishing energy, wit and love with which Loesser reworks these old ideas about male-female relations, grafting them onto a vibrant street background of low-level gangsterism, and developing, through his great songs, a wonderful series of metaphors about love and marriage as a the greatest high-rolling gamble of them all. And then, finally, there's the sheer excellence of Michael Grandage's production, which has been thrilling audiences since it opened in London two years ago. This latest version of the show includes the presence of Pop Idol finalist Darius Danesh in the role of Sky Masterson; and he certainly sings like an angel, particularly in the show's great, heart-stopping love-song, I've Never Been In Love Before. In the end, though, it's the brilliant ensemble atmosphere and superb choreography of this show that really lifts the audience, and drives the big male ensemble numbers - Luck Be A Lady, Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat - to world-class heights of artistry. Rob Ashford's choreography is as thrilling and virile as anything seen on the British musical stage in years, Christopher Oram's sets are wonderfully simple, atmospheric and good-looking. And Grandage directs with the eye of a great painter, building up twirling, shadowed, angular images of the men throwing dice in a New York sewer; or - at the end of Sit Down You're Rockin The Boat - freeze-framing his whole cast against the light filtering in through the mission hall's windows. The image looks like an Edward Hopper painting; and helps to confirm this show's status as a terrific tribute to American popular culture, in what was perhaps its finest, fairest, and most explosively energetic hour. |
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28th June 2007, 01:58 PM
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#6
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Take me as I am....
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www.one4review.com
Non Fringe Musical 2007 Guys and Dolls may not be my first choice of musical but it is one of Geoff’s favourites. This Donmar Warehouse on Tour production however is superb. Although coming to the end of its run with only Edinburgh and Leeds before the finish I am desperate to see this fantastically talented cast, in this extremely cleverly directed and uniquely choreographed production again. The four main characters Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide, Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown are usually played by well known personalities and this production is no different but I want to concentrate on the rest of the cast first. They cover a fairly large age and experience range displaying an amazingly talented and well-grounded base for the main characters to build upon. The quality of acting, dancing and singing is extremely high, encouraging the main characters to work even harder than usual. From Sarah’s Uncle Arvide Abernathy (Dave Delve) through General Cartwright (Alwyne Taylor) and other members of the Mission; from crooks and gangsters Nicely Nicely Johnson (Christian Patterson), Benny Southstreet (Stephen Webb), Big Jule (Miltos Yerolemou) and others; to the Hotbox Girls and Havana dancers and last but not least Lt Brannigan (Shaun Hennessy). The numbers ‘Fugue for Tinhorns’ and the phenomenal ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ rocked the theatre and nearly brought the house down. With a supporting cast of such superbly talented people the four leads are facing some challenge to maintain the high quality. Nathan Detroit is the cuddly charismatic Shaun Williamson, known to millions as Barry Evans from ‘EastEnders’ and many other numerous TV productions most recently Celebrity ‘Fame Academy’, but I remember him best from the Saturday night C5 TV show ‘Night Fever’ where Celebs got to sing numerous songs, Guys against Dolls. His fabulous voice is unfortunately not given much opportunity in this character but he lights up the stage whenever he appears and you find your eyes drawn to him. Lynsey Britton as his long-suffering fiancée of 14 years Miss Adelaide is a perfect foil for Shaun. Her comical ‘Adelaide’s Lament’ and both Hot Box numbers, ‘Bushel and a Peck’ and ‘Take Back Your Mink’ set up her comedy side which contrasts beautifully with ‘Sue Me’ where Adelaide rants at Nathan who defends himself by replying he loves her. Both Shaun and Lynsey seem perfect together. Scottish audiences in particular have a fondness for Darius Danesh, who is Sky Masterson, as most of us watched as he twice auditioned on TV to become a Pop Idol. We all know that Darius can sing, but this is an opportunity for us to display his acting talents. His tall swarthy good looks are a lovely contrast to the petit beauty of Louise Dearman as the demure innocent Sarah Brown. Occasionally Louise’s vocal talents almost eclipsed Darius’s and her on stage melting, assisted by her first consumption of alcohol is both charming and hilarious. The on stage love affair is totally believable and the disintegration from the indifferent aloof gambler to the enraptured lover was enchanting. An amazing orchestra supports this superb production with James Dunsmore as Musical Director. James has been in Edinburgh before and on this occasion he has Alex Coburn, George Double, John Franchi, Paul Frost, Nigel Hailwood, Adam Linsley, Gavin Mallett, Gemma Moore, Pete Moore, Malcolm Newton, Mike Nickel, James O’Carroll, Richard Wimpenny and Paul Wright as his Orchestra. The rest of the cast are; Jenni Bowden, Andrew Bowness, Neil Clench, Alex Gaumond, Chris Hornby, Joshua Horner, Sheryl Lafferty, Philip Marriott, Toussaint Meghie, Sarah O’Gleby, Jennifer Owen, Zoe Rainey, Stuart Reid, Celia Mei Rubin, John Stacey, Vicki Lee Taylor, Sally Whitehead and Jamie Wilkin. For further information on this show visit the site www.guysanddollsthemusical.com. |
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28th June 2007, 02:01 PM
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#7
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Take me as I am....
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http://www.list.co.uk/magazine/index.php?w...on:view,id:2270
Guys and Dolls - Theatre MUSICAL GUYS AND DOLLS Playhouse, Edinburgh, until Sat 23 Jun, then touring The latest industry to hop on the reality TV bandwagon, with shows like Any Dream Will Do and Grease is the Word, musicals are experiencing the biggest come back since Take That. Musicals are now cool (yes, even the Sound of Music) but some have been undeniably cool all along, including this tale of gamblers, rogues, dancers and do-gooders. Originally a Broadway hit, it has since managed to attract the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ewan McGregor and now Pop Idol’s persistent Darius Danesh. The high rollers have arrived in town and it’s down to loveable rogue Nathan Detroit (Shaun Williamson) and his cronies to find a place for the oldest established permanent floating c**p game in New York‚ without the knowledge of his long term, desperate-to-be-wed girlfriend, Hot Box dancer Adelaide (Louise Dearman). In his desperation Nathan bets suave Sky (Danesh) a grand that he can’t take the mission doll, Sarah (Lynsey Britton), to Havana. Sky never loses a bet but with this doll it seems the odds are stacked against him. Based on the 1950s characters and stories by Damon Runyon, it’s a tale of opposites, including right and wrong, love and hate, law and order and women and men. Women are searching for perfection and men are running from commitment. Perhaps this musical’s success lies in these timeless human relationships or perhaps it’s down to Loesser’s irresistible feel good music. Either way you won’t be disappointed as the fast moving routines are executed by an energetic cast as they bound through the classic show stoppers such as ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ and ‘Luck Be A Lady’, the latter accompanied by a captivating testosterone filled dance. All set against Christopher Oram’s urban backdrop of smoky clubs and shadowy streets. While director Jamie Lloyd has perhaps missed some of the underlying moments of predetermined humour, he has managed to evoke unexpected comic moments created by his slightly caricatured characters. Ex-Eastender Williamson’s cheeky chappy has more charm than you could shake dice at and Danesh cuts an undeniably dashing figure as Sky, famously immortalised by Brando, who subsequently made anyone singing that role sound good. Dearman and Britton play their polarised characters admirably; the latter’s rendition of a blootered bible-basher after one too many dulce de leches is particularly memorable. For a night of cool entertainment, this is a safe bet. (Greer Ogston) Published in issue 578 of The List (20 June 2007) This post has been edited by SpamFritter: 28th June 2007, 02:14 PM |
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28th June 2007, 02:08 PM
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Take me as I am....
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http://thomasadamsmusic.blogspot.com/
Guys & Dolls @ The Liverpool Empire Saturday 2nd June. On the face of it the omens were not good. A “Pop Idol” contestant and an “EastEnders” cast off. How would they shape up in this touring version of Michael Grandage’s revival of one of the truly great Broadway musicals? This “musical fable of Broadway” was revived in the West End in 2005 with a cast that included Patrick Swayze, Don Johnson, Ewan McGregor and Claire Sweeney. Michael Grandage directed the original production and LIPA graduate, Jamie Lloyd, directed this touring version. The characters are all played larger than life and with such conviction that it was like turning the pages of a comic book. By paying so much attention to the book, Michael Grandage sheds new light on the characters. In most versions of Guys and Dolls, Nathan is played as a sharp-witted hustler. The moment you see Shawn Williamson (Barry from “EastEnders”) you realise that he is exactly what Miss Adelaide calls him: a "cheap bum". In Williamson's hands he becomes, endearingly, a born loser, easily outwitted by the Chicago shark, Big Jule (Miltos Yerolemou). The Sky-Sarah relationship is brilliantly conceived. Sky as played by Darius Danesh (of Pop Idol fame), is dapper and cool, but deep down a decent, religious guy who knows his Proverbs from his Isaiah. Meanwhile Louise Dearman 's Sarah is outwardly a strong-jawed missionary, but inside there’s a wild suppressed side which cuts loose with the help of what she thinks is a ‘milk shake’. Her ensuing performance of “If I were a bell” was immaculately timed and framed. Musicals, as they say, are all about ecstasy and there are two moments when this show really hits: The first one is the scene where Sky whisks Sarah off to Cuba, which, largely thanks to Rob Ashford's original choreography, becomes a wild, erotic festival of entwined limbs. The dance number that leads into “Luck Be A Lady” is sensational, but the high point is the gospel pastiche, “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat” performed by the whole cast led by a stubby Peter Kaye look-alike, Christian Patterson, as Nicely Nicely Johnson, which packs its full revivalist punch. Stunning! The tone of the evening was set by Christopher Oram's design, which brings out all of Manhattan's dank drabness. Times Square itself is brilliantly evoked through a blaze of light on blanked-out facades. The mission-hall has the right air of mustiness, but most astonishing of all is Oram's vision of the sewers, which are represented through a receding vortex that exactly recalls the design for the recent Glyndebourne production of Wagner’s epic, “Tristan and Isolde”. For a revival to work there needs to be a strong link with the tradition of the show as well as freshness which redefines. This is exactly why this revival has been so successful. It is indeed a classic Broadway show with a twist… a brilliant and honest one in the hands of Michael Grandage and Jamie Lloyd. Posted by Malcolm at Tuesday, June 05, 2007 |
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28th June 2007, 02:15 PM
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Take me as I am....
Joined: 31 March 2006
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28th June 2007, 02:58 PM
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 15 March 2006
Posts: 4,844 User: 225
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I thought they were working..I had to go out, so didnt check, thanks spamfritter, for writing them up. I will go look for the Chris High one.
link to chrishigh review This post has been edited by prettyinpink: 28th June 2007, 03:19 PM |
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28th June 2007, 03:01 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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QUOTE(SpamFritter @ Jun 28 2007, 03:15 PM)  page not found  Darius Vanesh(sic), playing career gambler and show's focal point, Sky Masterson, clearly has ability to match his height. The former Pop idol and Popstars icon has clearly moved onwards and upwards, judging by this performance that had him twinkling up there amongst the other stars on show. His version of Luck Be A Lady - interspersed with an impressive, if long dance routine - and the duet with Louise Dearman, I've Never Been In Love Before, being amongst the highest of the highlights. Thanks, pip. Your link is working. This post has been edited by Baytree: 28th June 2007, 03:32 PM |
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28th June 2007, 03:18 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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and of course there's always one that seemsto be about a different show. The link for it doesn't seem to exist any more - It's from Liverpool.com and was published on 31st May
With most Broadway musicals, there was someone who wrote the music and another who supplied the lyrics. With Guys and Dolls, Frank Loesser did it all. And what a fabulous job he did, creating some of Broadway's best songs with some of its wittiest lyrics. This new production from the Donmar Warehouse unfortunately does not do Loesser's songs or the play itself full justice. There are some smashing dance routines and the show looks good, but for some reason it was decided to exaggerate things. If I Were a Bell, one of Loesser's best songs, was ruined by having Louise Dearman as Salvation Army girl Sarah Brown sing it as a drunk. Lynsey Britton playing the lovelorn Miss Adelaide had such a strong Bronx accent it was sometimes difficult to hear her. Luck Be a Lady was well overplayed with a lengthy dance routine before we got to the song and many of the clever patter songs were lost in some hammy performances. Happily, there was enough of the original show to enjoy including the classic characters from Damon Runyon - on whose stories the show was based - and Loesser's songs can often survive even the crassest of performances. Starring in this was Popstars reality show performer Darius Danesh as gambler Sky Masterson, a performance which despite an OK voice lacked any kind of personality - he often sang looking at the audience, rather than the girl he was meant to be romancing. Danesh is also a tall chap, far too tall for Louise Dearman as love interest Sarah Brown - she must have got a crick in her neck looking up to him so often. Rather better served was Lynsey Britton, despite the accent, as a sassy Miss Adelaide who spends most of the show trying to get Nathan Detroit to the altar. He was played by Shaun Williamson ("Barry from Eastenders") and managed to deliver a jaunty performance. The New York sets are pretty good and certainly the orchestra in the pit gave the Loesser songs plenty of zip. It's just a shame directors Michael Grandage and Jamie Lloyd felt they had to over- egg this musical pudding with exaggerated performances, songs often |
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28th June 2007, 03:34 PM
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Take me as I am....
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That one was laughable, they definitely were watching a different show.
Darius' interactions with Sarah and all others was perfect. He had me believing he'd fallen in love with her. He only looked at the audience at the final bow |
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28th June 2007, 03:36 PM
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 31 March 2006
Posts: 2,402 User: 327
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Thanks Baytree and everyone for the reviews, great to read. Wouldnt it be nice if we had a separate section on Darius music.net for these reviews. I only say that as we seems to have quite a number of visitors to that site who would then perhaps get to read them whereas here we dont get so many visitors do we.
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28th June 2007, 03:44 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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It is good to get them on one thread. Much easier to get an overview.
Should this thread be pinned, pip? The Joyce McMillan review was from The Scotsman. The Edinburgh News 13th June High-rollers put on big performance MARTIN LENON Guys and Dolls **** Playhouse The Forties was an incredible era. The biggest war in history had ended, teenagers were about to be invented and rock 'n' roll was just around the corner. People were obviously ready to party like it was 1949. The years rolled back again last night at The Playhouse, as the new and grand scale production of Guys and Dolls hit the Capital. The brilliant and lavish New York cityscape drew the audience in to a world of crapshoots, fast living and of course, at the heart of it all, the guys and dolls themselves. Based on a short story by Damon Runyon, The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown, the show first performed in 1950 in the only place it could have - Broadway. Several adaptations followed including the famous 1955 film starring, among others, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons in the lead roles. Since then dozens of big names have appeared in a great many different revivals of the piece, including Patrick Swayze, Bob Hoskins, Don Johnson and even Ewan MacGregor. The show itself is and was big, brash and fun. A little wordy compared to other musicals perhaps, but that was no bad thing. There was a lot of solid, romantic and funny story to tell, after all. Two stories, in fact, interwoven around one another: On the one hand, there was the tale of Nathan Detroit, played by a perfectly cast Shaun Williamson of EastEnders fame, who operated an illegal "floating craps game", always trying to keep one step ahead of the law. With a bunch of high-rollers newly arrived in town, he needed to find a venue for a huge game, and having found a place, then needed a thousand dollars as a deposit - money he didn't have. Enter Sky Masterton, a career gambler played worryingly well by Pop Idol star, Darius Danesh. Detroit bets Masterton that he can't make the next girl he sees agree to a date with him, guaranteeing the gangster his deposit money. However, unfortunately for Detroit, Masterton met Missionary Sarah Brown and by a series of ruses, lies and skilful persuasion, gets her to 'agree' to the date. Now Detroit has to find the gambler's winnings as well as the deposit. Against the odds and her normally conventional instincts, Brown begins to fall for Masterton. To add more to the pot, Detroit's long-suffering fiance, nightclub singer Miss Adelaide leaves him, both because of his lack of commitment and because of his lying. Clearly, Runyon didn't like to make things easy for his characters. As you might expect, there's a happy ending, but not before the cast had the chance to strut their stuff in the fabulous musical numbers, including the unforgettable Luck Be A Lady and Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat. The ensemble dazzled but naturally the stars garnered the lion's share of the applause, and rightly so, for an outstanding performance. If there was a flaw, it was the ever present Noo Yawk accent that never manages to sound quite like Mary Beth Lacy, but always slips in anyway. Otherwise, this was a first class production that deserves full houses every night. Run ends June 23 This post has been edited by Baytree: 28th June 2007, 04:20 PM |
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20th July 2007, 07:48 AM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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Reviews of Chicago
Darius played Billy Flynn (the youngest ever actor to do so to date) at the Adelphi Theatre from Monday 21st November 2005 to Saturday 11th February 2006 and again at the Cambridge theatre from 14th June- 8th July 2006. First Night http://darrenshan.blogdrive.com/archive/116.html Then, as we turned onto the Strand, heading for the Embankment, I spotted the sign for "Chicago". Hang on, I thought, doesn't that start at 8.00pm? We hurried up to check, and it does -- and it was only 7.50!!!! We'd both seen it a few years ago, but both wanted to go again -- so we did!!! It's a brilliant show, one of the most stylish around. The cast was strong, as I think it always is. I was dubious about the guy playing Billy Flynn -- he's a young singer called Darius who is "famous" in the UK for finishing as a runner-up in two big talent shows (one of which was Pop Idol). I thought he'd be awful, but in fact he was really good -- charismatic, cheeky, with a fine singing voice. Bas had said he'd be good, so she was able to smile smugly at me afterwards!! This post has been edited by Baytree: 20th July 2007, 08:06 AM |
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20th July 2007, 07:52 AM
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#17
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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http://elisambry.blogspot.com/2006/05/lond...agos-notes.html
Take the roaring Twenties, a city in its prohibitionist and gangster era, beautiful women and Jazz; take also Walter Bobbie, a director winner of the 1998 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production, an excellent trio of interpreters, Sally Ann Triplett, Amra-Faye Wright and Darius Danesh; and finally take a seat in London’s Adelphi Theatre; shake all together, add that “something more” that makes a musical take-off and that’s Chicago. Amra-Faye Wright is wonderful: dancer, actress and singer, it will be difficult to forget her when sings ‘And All That Jazz’, with a strong, powerful and sexy voice. Her Velma is a real men-eater with blond short hair cut, winkle glance and movements’ agility. Sally Ann Triplett is brilliant in Roxie’s shoes and she can add that touch of false ingenuity and vulnerability while jumps everywhere on the stage circled by a multitude of boys. Darius Danesh, with his sticky gel hair, reveals charme and charisma, in a memorable tip tap and in an unexpected solo. He plays Flynn with conviction, real puppeteer of Roxie and Velma’s human sorts, without a minimum of humanity. |
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20th July 2007, 07:54 AM
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#18
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre.
THERE are a number of ways to describe the musical Chicago. It's slinky, sultry, sexy, sophisticated and sleazy, which is just what you might expect of a show about murder, greed, adultery, corruption and treachery. Chicago now in its eighth year at the Adelphi Theatre, is a masterpiece of cool black n' white sizzle and shimmer and hot razamataz and dazzle. The plot revolves around nightclub dancer Roxie Hart (Sally Ann Triplett) who shoots her lover dead, and double murderess Velma Kelly (Amra-Faye Wright) and their efforts to get out of jail quickly with the help of super-slick lawyer Billy Flynn. With flimsy black lace costumes and fantastic dance routines, the ensemble just about stole the show. The female dancers had their long legs encased in black tights, and the male dancers in see-through black t-shirts and leather waistcoats, and they wound their bodies around chairs, ladders and each other with jaw-dropping ease. Check out the simmering Cell Block Tango when raunchy Roxie dislays some sharp moves. Former Pop Idol finalist Darius Danesh took over the role as smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn, in November. Flynn boasts he can get both women an innocent verdict for enough money and make them stars in the process. Darius, looking every bit the matinee idol, quickly won the admiration of the mainly female audience when he sang All I Care About (is love) and he was exceptionally good in We Both Reached for the Gun, a dance and mime number with Roxie. Roxie's devoted but misguided husband Amos was well played by Victor McGuire, known mostly for his role in the BBC TV sitcom Bread. In a heart-rending scene Amos describes himself in song as Mr Cellophane, a man so insignificant people don't actually realise he is there. But there was nothing insignificant about Victor McGuire's performance which was so good you could feel the audience reaching out to him. Sally Ann Triplett and Amra-Faye Wright sang and danced their way through Chicago, proving what a talented pair they are whether together or performing solo. Chrissie Hammond reprised her role of Matron Mama Morton, the prison warder with a powerful pizazz. Chicago, based on the book by Bob Fosse, with choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse, is the longest running American musical ever to play in London, and is the longest running production at the Adelphi Theatre. Principal cast members who change on a regular basis have previously included Denise Van Outen, former Wonder Woman Lynda Grant, Alison Moyet. Anita Dobson and Sacha Distel. Sally Ann Triplett,(Roxie) Amra-Faye Wright (Velma) and Victor McGuire (Amos) will remain in their roles until the end of January. As the show opens the audience is welcomed to Illinois in the late 1920s, a land of murder, greed, corruption, roughed knees, rolled down stockings, a hot piano and All That Jazz. The opening routine led by dancer Steven Grace held the promise of an evening of decadent, foot-tapping entertainment, and it kept its promise every step of the way. Chicago runs at the Adelphi Theatre from Mondays to Thursdays at 8pm, with Friday performances at 5pm and 8.30pm and Saturday performances at 3pm and 8pm. |
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20th July 2007, 07:55 AM
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#19
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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You need to scroll down for this one. It's just below Salvador Dali's "Lobster Telephone" The picture of darius as Billy is a bit of a clue too.
http://crossthekitchenfloor.blogspot.com/2...or_archive.html I admit it took me a few songs to get Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger out of my head, but the two female leads did an amazing job. The headliner of this run is Darius Danesh, a former contestant on Pop Idol, the UK version of American Idol. Tall, very good looking, and possessing an amazing voice, he was outstanding as Billy Flynn. |
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20th July 2007, 07:59 AM
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#20
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 1 April 2006
Posts: 16,762 User: 334
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One from very early in the Cambridge run
It's from an American who hated everything about the show http://columnwest.wordpress.com/2006/06/17/chicago/ except Darius The only bright spot for me was Darius Danesh as Billy Flynn. Darius was "discovered"on Pop idol, the British version of American Idol. He has a cartoony, deep, booming voice,somewhat like John Raitt. Unlike the rest of the principal cast, he's not in urgent need of a hip replacement, and he can actually hold his notes. (Darius makes you realize how much Richard Gere was not a natural singer in the film.) But wait, what's this I read? Darius is leaving in July and is being replaced by Luca Barbareschi. |
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