San Diego Reviews

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BEtourfan
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San Diego Reviews

Post by BEtourfan »

I believe this is the first review.
http://sdgln.com/entertainment/2013/05/ ... ic-theatre
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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by BEtourfan »

This reviewer states that the Tour production is less gritty than the London version. Is this so?
http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/0 ... er-review/
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ERinVA
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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by ERinVA »

Yes, it's so in that :

1. The "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher" opening to Act 2 is much stronger in London, with suggestive jokes, and a special profanity-laced stanza in the song sung by school girls dressed as angels, as they would be dressed for a Christmas pageant.
2. The foul language is more prevalent throughout, with more f-words, especially in the lyrics to "Solidarity."At first on Broadway, the lyrics to "Solidarity" remained as in London, but eventually "f**king" before every reference to Geordies morphed into other less offensive terms like "bloody," and the miners now say "shagged your missus" instead of using the f-word. There are more f-words used by the kids in London. In fact, there, Billy lands an f-bomb the first time he opens his mouth, with "f**ked if I know," instead of "I don't bloody know."
3. Some other changes in dialect words were made because they wouldn't make sense to American audiences, although some,
like "mank," were left as is. I guess the deciding factor was whether the audiences seemed to get the meaning from context.
4. The accent was softened to make it more understandable.

I would say that the main thing that makes the reviewer think the touring show is less "gritty" is the softened language. And as for all the "lowbrow" comedy that he thinks has been added, what he doesn't realize is that it actually is, and always has been, part of the original London show.
Ellen



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-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by kport »

ERinVA wrote:Yes, it's so in that :

1. The "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher" opening to Act 2 is much stronger in London, with suggestive jokes, and a special profanity-laced stanza in the song sung by school girls dressed as angels, as they would be dressed for a Christmas pageant.
2. The foul language is more prevalent throughout, with more f-words, especially in the lyrics to "Solidarity."At first on Broadway, the lyrics to "Solidarity" remained as in London, but eventually "f**king" before every reference to Geordies morphed into other less offensive terms like "bloody," and the miners now say "shagged your missus" instead of using the f-word. There are more f-words used by the kids in London. In fact, there, Billy lands an f-bomb the first time he opens his mouth, with "f**ked if I know," instead of "I don't bloody know."
3. Some other changes in dialect words were made because they wouldn't make sense to American audiences, although some, like "mank," were left as is. I guess the deciding factor was whether the audiences seemed to get the meaning from context.
4. The accent was softened to make it more understandable.

I would say that the main thing that makes the reviewer think the touring show is less "gritty" is the softened language. And as for all the "lowbrow" comedy that he thinks has been added, what he doesn't realize is that it actually is, and always has been, part of the original London show.

I entirely agree with everything Ellen has stated, and add this:

The London performance (I saw today's matinee) is much quicker...the dialogue is snappier...more gritty...with lines overlapping lines...which, in the Tour version, does not happen (due, I believe, to the very real assumption that the Georgie dialect takes more time to digest on the Tour than in London).
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maria
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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by maria »

Just to add to the above, there is one "cheap laugh" that always causes me to cringe, though it does manage to get a laugh... That is when Dad sneezes and wipes his snot-filled hand in the curtain before the RBS auditions. This definitely does NOT happen in London, in part because there is not a curtain at that scene, but also it just doesn't fit... And I don't think it is funny... But that may just be me!
<- A new use for the Billy Bag!!!
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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by ERinVA »

Here's a mostly favorable review from sdgln.com:

http://sdgln.com/entertainment/2013/05/ ... ic-theatre
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by gpcolo »

BEtourfan wrote:I believe this is the first review.
http://sdgln.com/entertainment/2013/05/ ... ic-theatre
Sorry ERinVA... looks like BEtourfan beat you to the punch! :)
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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by ERinVA »

Yes, I see that now.

Well, I guess you'll just have to read it again! ;) :D
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by BEtourfan »

alexandre
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Re: San Diego Reviews

Post by alexandre »

So by a fortunate confluence of events, I'm in San Diego! Managed to steal away from other duties and see the show tonight, with Drew as Billy.

He was sensational! I've never seen any guy, regardless of age, execute turns with such precision, such excellence. He really showed some yagp pedigree :P

And the crowd were so into it. At the end everyone, EVERYONE was standing and applauding. In the $150 stall seats, the loges, the nosebleeds; it was (almost) the most inspiring sight of the night! This is what I'll miss about the US tour, you sure as hell don't get that in the other place the show plays.
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