From jazz hands and high kicks to Sondheim magic

[showtunesgirl]

Welcome to the Mumsnet Musical Theatre thread.

Pull up a sequinned pouffe, get cosy with a porn star martini, kick off those character shoes, take off the wig and let out your inner Bernadette Peters.

This is a thread for lovers of musical theatre, whether watching or participating in it. Anything Goes here so to speak...

I'll kick off by saying that in the last week I saw The Book of Mormon and sob, Merrily We Roll Along. Both excellent in completely different ways.

Anyone else?

*Broadway!

Ooh open auditions

Least favourite is probably Hello Dolly or Carousel.

I'm willing to bet the open auditions will be for ensemble/ethnic roles only. Ellen will be via agents I guess.

Dh knows some great vocal coaches in London (he used to teach at Mountview) but not sure if they are North London.

You never quite know with Opens. I got down to the last handful to play Maureen in Rent when I was 19 and I came through Opens.

Oh wow Showgirls. I can only imagine how scarily amazing that must have been!!

Oops, showtunesgirl

AND the girl in FRONT of me at the Opens got the bloody part!

I am lurking but have to say what a lovely thread.
I don't "do" anymore but watch dd, she's not stage school, just local for fun.
I love musical theatre, it was always a fantasy place for me either performing or watching.
I have retired now but was a professional singer and dancer and have done many of the big shows, taken lead roles etc. Nationwide tours not WE.

Sorrel
No, Carousel is just the business, doesn't get much better . My first big show and I was one of Mr Snows children, I was 10. Hello Dolly has some lovely numbers, my favourite is Sunday Clothes. It has wonderful harmonies going on there.
Thanks for the memories.

Woo hoo! More MN MT people!

One of dhs students has just finished Rent (fab first job from college) but Kerry Ellis was far, far too old for Mimi. Maureen was fab - Nikki Davis-Jones looking forward to seeing her Elphaba on tour.

But I also want to see Willemijn who is coming to London (dh saw her in Holland)

Marking my place and will be back to catch up. This is just my sort of thread!!

Kerry Ellis was Mimi?!

Yes she was. Don't get me wrong - I love her - but her Mimi was just so wrong.

pictures sounds like you've had an amazing career. Am in awe of all you pro performers. I console myself with the thought that I've played more roles and done more shows as an Am than I would ever have had the chance to do if I'd attempted an actual career in MT. I know my limits

I just can't warm to Carousel or Hello Dolly. I know they both contain some absolutely classic songs but meh. Mind you, my taste can be a bit odd! See above on Les Mis etc

Kerry Ellis is SO not a Mimi! Maybe a Maureen at a push!

Did anyone see this: www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22974584 I wonder if Maybe is replacing Now That I've Seen Her / It's Her Or Me?

Finally read through the thread and am loving it!
I'm an MT lover and have performed since I was 11, purely in an amateur capacity though. Been in masses of shows and some plays, mainly in middle ranking/supporting roles, rather than principal, but love it nonetheless. Not really done anything for about 4 years as moved house and then fell pregnant with Dd, so been a bit busy! Most of my good friends are people I met through the local theatre etc, its such a fab hobby!
Very excited about revival of miss Saigon. Going to see Wicked again (third time!) whilst its on tour up north. Saw phantom on tour last year and really enjoyed it, whereas had seen it in Manchester in the mid 90's and was a bit meh about it then, so that was a pleasant surprise. Love cabaret and saw Samantha barks and Anna Maxwell Martin in the fairly recent revival productions (tour and west end productions.)
Love sweet charity and would have loved to have seen the fairly recent run at the Menier Chocolate Factory (I think) but it wasn't to be.
Anyway, better go and make some lunch while DS is having a snooze.
Thanks for this thread!

I saw the recent Mernier production of Sweet Charity web it moved into town. Tamsin Outhwaite was rather good but Josephina Gabrielle stole the show IMHO.

I'm not keen on Kerry Ellis tbh. I was a bit shruggy about her anyway and then saw her bit on The Voice. I thought she came across a a tad arrogant, that it was a "given" that the judges would turn around. They didn't and quite rightly said that she had already "made it" having had a successful run in the West End etc.

Put me off even more.

I have to say that Kerry Ellis whupped Idina's arse though in Chess at The Albert Hall. I was quite surprised really but Idina's voice doesn't quite have the range needed for Chess whilst Kerry's Someone Else's Story was great.

She was asked to go on The Voice.

Yes she was. I think it was to prove a point that you don't just need to be able to sing, you need something "else" to be a pop star.

Would any of you nice MT ladies do me an off-line favour? (PM me if you can) it's for D of course & I may have to go out so I'm not ignoring you, honest

BTW - should we ask MNHQ to move this somewhere it could be kept?

Just got back to my hotel after seeing Pippin. I'm quite overwhelmed tbh. What an amazing, brilliant, wonderful show. Only the second time I've given a standing ovation but it so deserved it. Simply incredible.