dylandog

Thanks for the review. It was really interesting to read your opinion of the show and its comparative strengths and weaknesses. Your comments about the relative weakness of the newer songs in relation to the older songs in some way confirms what many of us have been saying. lll is a good album as a whole but lacks stand out songs. Transferred to a show where they have to stand on their own merit the songs therefore fall short in comparison to the well established songs. I'm not surprised you thought that Affirmation was the weak spot in the concert as I cannot fathom why they chose it? If another song was needed for Howard there are better choices from their back catalogue. Mark is undoubtedly a warmer personality than Howard or Gary and reminds me of a little puppy who's always eager to please. Howard is far more reserved and is known to be quite shy. Gary is a more interesting character. Having seen one of his solo concerts he undoubtedly has a great sense of humour and isn't afraid to make fun of himself, but he isn't a natural conversationalist and always strikes me as somewhat guarded and stilted when speaking to an audience. I actually think that TT works because of their differing personality types, but I do wonder if they would have continued if Mark had been the one to leave instead of Jay? Will post my review after I've seen them in Manchester on the 26th May and it would be nice to read reviews from anyone else going from this forum. For anyone interested the reviews on the Ticketmaster site are generally excellent.

I have similar feelings to you about an acoustic set. I would really love to hear a stripped back version of the songs in smaller venues but I think people now expect massive productions. My favourite album is the one they did at Abbey Road - really lovely. I wouldn't give up hope just yet - they may still be some shows in Europe. The cinema release is a limited one in the UK and as far as I am aware it's only showing in a few places, although that may change. A live broadcast in cinemas would at least be something for overseas fans. I remember when the the BW O2 show was screened in cinemas. It was fantastic to see on the big screen and having been to the live show I noticed so many things I'd initially missed.

I'm not sure it's arrogance Milly. It's more likely a realization that they would struggle to sell tickets. The overheads for this tour must be staggering and I guess they would need to fill out large venues to make it pay. They didn't tour very much at the point of their comeback so they've never consolidated a firm fan base outside of the UK and Ireland. That said I'm sure that international fans would be content for want of a better word with a small tour without the lavish production, and it would be a nice gesture by TT. There is some indication that they may tour outside of the UK and the few existing European dates currently available; mostly likely Dubai. I do think that the US, South America and other European countries such as Romania would garner enough interest to possibly fill smaller venues. If it's ever going to happen I think it will be soon. I always had the impression that Jay was reluctant to tour extensively and seemed to struggle with the pressure of performing. The other three may be more enthusiastic about venturing further afield. As for tour song list - I still don't like Portrait and think it's a strange choice , but I have warmed to I Like It and like the opening sequence.

The tour does look absolutely stunning. Pleased that its been received so well by the public. There must have been real pressure on them to maintain the high standard of previous tours. Howard seems to have come into his own of this tour - which I'm pleased about and I like the arrangement and visuals for the Flood. I 'm surprised by some of the song choices and I wouldn't have include Affirmation, Up All Night or I Like It. I have a soft spot for the BW album and would have liked one or two of the ballads off that album on the tour. Still hoping that they swop Portrait for Higher Than Higher by the time they reach Manchester. Hope everyone going to Dublin and Belfast has a fab time.

If I was to buy the album is would be the cast one. Your right LMK has a wonderful voice and I've been impressed by Matthew Morrison, although I still prefer Jeremy Jordan in the lead role.

Thanks for the link, Milly. Slightly over produced in my view but I do like the interpretation of the song and it's actually better than I expected. I wonder why Jessie J's version was binned?

Kath I've only just seen your response to a comment I posted quite some time ago. I defended your right to post your views so please don't suggest otherwise. However I did challenge the mind set of people who constantly access sites to post negative comments about artists , and on that point I stand my ground.

Staging does look exceptional although I hope the music doesn't get lost amongst all of the production. Gutted that Higher Than Higher isn't on the set list. It would have fitted better with the staging ( Flying Car ) than Portrait. Also a strange omission given that it's the next single? Surprised they left out Into The Wild and can't believe they included Affirmation. I would have liked a few more ballads like Crack in my Heart instead of, for example, Relight My Fire. Glad Said It All made the list. Will be interesting to compare TT 4, TT 5 and now TT3.

Great news as Higher Than Higher is one of the best in my view. It should have been the follow up instead of LITS. Doubt there will be much impact on the singles chart but it may give the album a bit of a boost. Hope everyone who goes tonight has a fab time and the show is up to TT's high standard. I guess Higher Than Higher will be on the set list as it's a single release - so pleased about that. Hoping for at least 7 songs off the new album but I doubt there will be that many.

SOM is in the same vein as FN though. The SOM score is obviously much stronger and the songs far catchy - but I can see where Milly is coming from in that both scores have a light weight feel to them and a wide appeal. I 've listened to some of the front runners for the Tony awards and I don't like them one bit. Yes, musicals like Fun Home are forward thinking, challenging, and broaden the scope of what people understand by a musical, but are they entertaining? The Fun Home song may be cleverly constructed but I think they're awful; I can't stand them. So, this goes to show how subjective art is, and always will be. I think it's a given that FN will be edged out at the Tony's. The question now is will it survive the departure of its big names? A long and successful run on Broadway and in the West End will off set the critical mauling it's received . Not what HW wanted, but I think he'll have to settle for it. As for Gary and Eliot, who knows what impact it will have on their song writing career on Broadway? I doubt anyone in the US will be that keen to collaborate with them given the critics view of their output and it will be interesting to see the response to the Calendar Girls musical in the UK.

Re above: just to be more specific. The current facebook forum reads as : (203) 5 * (12) 4* (1) 3* (1) 2* (1)*1. Granted this is not a scientific measure but it's the only one we have to gauge the popularity of the show. Another forum shows similar results. The public view of this musical seems totally at odds with the theatre critics - don't know how common this is?

I don't see why Gary or the others should 'stay away'. They love what they do and they still have a sizable audience. They have said time and time again that they didn't want to be away from their families for too long, so they made a conscious decision not to promote too much outside of the UK. Ultimately we will never know if they could have made some inroads internationally, but given their ages it would have been unlikely. I think Gary will be hurt by the publicity surrounding FN. Whilst he is a populist and sales are more important to him than critical acclaim he will undoubtedly have wanted critical affirmation of his work. HW is a business man and he'll look to recoup his original outlay; however I also think this project has been something of a labour of love for him. He's spoken openly about reinventing the musical since its first premier in Leicester and the Tonys was his ultimate goal. I don't think any of the production team, including Diane Paulus or HW expected such negativity from the critics. The chance of Tony nominations are poor but they may have shot at some of the more minor awards. I've been reading forums over the past week and the feedback from the general public has been astonishing. They appear to love the production including the score. Facebook has something in the region of 160 reviews most of which are excellent, with 1 poor, 1 fair and 1 good. Only time will tell if the public's acclaim with prove robust enough to counteract the theatre critics, but what is clear at the moment is that the vast majority of theatre goers who have seen the musical love it. I genuinely think the score, at least the songs I've heard are absolutely wonderful and some of the best work Gary has done.

Sadly the UK press has picked up on the poor reviews, although there are some positive ones out there. The knives are certainly out at this stage with the Daily Mail article focusing on the negativity towards the score in particular, hence the limelight on Gary and Eliot. Eliot has posted some twitter comments which hint at his disappointment and perhaps annoyance, but I don't envisage any twitter comments from Gary as it's not his style. I tell you what GB has probably come in for more criticism in recent times than any other MOR pop artist I can think of. Hope he continues to have a very thick skin as a lot of people with relish this set back. Privately he must be gutted with the reaction to date as I don't think it was expected, especially given the awards the show recently won in Boston. I still maintain that there are some quite lovely songs in this musical - but hey what do I know? He's suppose to be writing the score for another HW production, but given Harvey's ruthlessness I do wonder if Gary may be asked to step aside?

When you think about it Gary has never had an easy ride in the music business. I'm perplexed when Rob is seen as an artist who's struggled and faced adversity. The opposite is true. Rob has achieved critical acclaim throughout his career and has never faced the vitriol Gary has, nor has he faced the personal tragedy Gary has. I think that Gary has come to terms with the UK press and their opinions of him. I genuinely find it odd- yes the tax issue is an area for criticism, but prior to this large sections of the media were still negative - rather strange in my view. In relation to FN, critics are entitled to their opinions and if they don't like it, then they don't like it. As long as their reviews have been reached fairly then I guess artists have to take it on the chin and move on. However I do feel that there is some kind of backlash against the pop score. After reading very negative reviews on the Broadway forum I decided to listen to the score from a new musical which is getting rave reviews - and I absolutely hated it. As I mentioned before the next month or two is significant in terms of longevity. I understand the show has extended its run until December - hopefully the awful reviews will not impact too significantly on sales.

Sadly my worst fears have come true. The signs were not good prior to opening night. There appears to be a distinct difference between the critics and the paying public on this one. The broadway forum has been largely negative but in comparison facebook reviews and other fan reviews have been exceptional. I have heard around 5 or 6 of the songs from the musical and I genuinely think they are fantastic and some of the best work that Gary has done in recent years. I tend to be objective even when it comes to Gary and TT and I love the songs, I really do. It appears the success of the musical will rest on its popular appeal. Can't see any or few Tony nominations but I would love it to prove the critics wrong and have similar success to Wicked.

Fingers crossed it all goes well with the official opening today. Reviews have been decidedly mixed on US theatre forums so I hope that's not an indication of what's to come. Reading between the lines many people adore the music, whilst some hate its pop vibe. Based on this the critics reviews could be very mixed and it may be one of those musicals which doesn't garner critical acclaim but has wide popular appeal. A bit like Take That !!

I don't think there will be a third single, far too close to the tour date. The album hasn't reached its true potential and aside from These Days it hasn't made any impact at all. When you think of the singles Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran have released recently it proves that singles do influence album sales. Unfortunately I wouldn't be surprised if only a few songs make their way onto the tour list. In which case I wont be happy. I've heard most of their back catalogue time and time again; I really want to hear the songs from lll live. The promotion of the lll has been their worst since the comeback in 2005. Perhaps Gary's commitment to the musical has been a factor after all. The schedule should really have been thought out much better than it has been.

Agree Milly. It would have made far more sense to do a TV show. The small intimate gig will be full of fans who already own the album. A rather strange decision in my view and so close to the tour. I simply don't see the point of it.

Guess the climb two weeks ago was connected to Mothers Day. I really think that some TV promo, would be invaluable, even if they showcase only a couple of songs. Some strong songs off this album aren't going to see the light of day - shame. Worried that a lot of people on the tour won't exactly know or connect with the lll songs, but I'm desperately hoping at least six songs make the cut.

TT won't gain any sales from the ID situation. The only ways to address album sales is to promote as much as possible. There are some parallels between 1D and TT in terms of one member leaving close to or during a tour and both being ' boy bands'; but that's where the connection ends. 1D success was achieved with little or no effort, whereas TT worked extensively to build up a fan base. TT wrote and produced their songs from an early stage and although 1D apparently have song writing credits at the moment they don't have an equivalent Gary Barlow, although that may change as time goes on. Apart from their first single their efforts have been unmemorable and I genuinely do not know what their individual voices sound like - but then I don't fall within their fan demographic. Their sounds it even more generic than TT's in my view. They haven't mastered the art of harmonizing and performance wise they fall far short of TT, in terms of their energy levels and commitment. They also fall short in terms of musicianship and in my view ID have been very, very lucky indeed.

The Flood was a great first single but wasn't indicative of the album as a whole. The album was a critical success but everyone I know who bought the album hates it!!. There are some lovely songs in Progress/Progressed but I also find it difficult to listen to. The follow up single after The Flood should have been something like Eight Letters - predictable maybe, but a safer option that Kidz. I actually think the direction they took for Progress, regardless of sales figures, was the wrong one. From my perspective Progress is the weakest of all four albums, without a shadow of a doubt. The strength of TT is their melodic sound and harmonies which was completely lost in the production process. It' actually one of the issues I have with them ; their albums are always over produced. I distinctly remember leaving the Progress concert quite flat and the atmosphere throughout was undeniably different from The Ultimate tour, BW and the Circus. I can't quite put my finger on it but the crowd wasn't anywhere near as animated or involved , in spite of the massive production which actually left me cold. I went with a group of 6 and we all said it was the worst TT concert we'd been to.

Do you know where the rumour of a TV show came from? I really hope it's true but it would be a strange time for one , just before a tour. They've always done TV promo just before or just following the release of an album. So late after it's launch strikes me as rather odd timing. Regarding the Robbie situation I don't specifically blame him for the sound. I can't imagine Gary and the others sitting back and agreeing to the music if they didn't endorse it. Gary wrote most of the music for Progress very early in the process. I admit to hating that album, aside from one or two songs, and much preferred Progressed. It's the only album I never listen to and I dearly hope that there are more songs from lll than Progress on this tour. I think Robbie was very, very canny with the reunion tour. He ensured a solo section and was thrust back into the limelight only to jump ship again when his confidence returned. It's only conjecture on my part but Jay seemed distant on the Progress tour and I don't think he wanted Rob's return. The documentary was telling in my view and Jay didn't appear altogether happy around Rob and I remember people commenting on it at the time. I know that this has been disputed but the body language was difficult to disguise. Contrast that with the Circus tour when Jay appeared completely involved and engaged - something happened in the years leading up to Progress or during Progress itself.

I don't think anyone expected sales of below 600,000 when the new album was released. All three albums post 2005 have sold over 2 million. The sales drop is staggering and I don't fully understand where the fans have gone? Robbie has hinted at another album next year and it will be interesting to compare sales. In recent years TT have extensively outsold Robbie in the UK market. It's now possible that trend will be reversed. It doesn't appear that TT have benefitted long term from the return of Robbie , whereas he has regained some momentum. Rob's return was a mistake in my opinion because he was never going to commit long term. If Jay had left the gap wouldn't have been so obvious , but going from 5 down to 3 is very, very noticeable. If Gary releases another solo album I'm not expecting anywhere near the sales of SISYL and I can't see how the band can re connect with the larger buying public. As I've said before the only chance they have of recovering to anywhere near their 2006 popularity is to produce an album along the lines of BW and commit to extensive promotion together with a cohesive singles campaign.

It seems the opening night went very well with a standing ovation. Hopefully the momentum continues and the theatre reviews are positive because so often they can make or break a show.

On a side note Gary met up with US TT fans at a restaurant before the opening night of Finding Neverland - nice gesture. Hope reviews are good tomorrow.