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As we say so long farewell to veteran actor Christopher Plummer, Mark Shenton praises the art of obituary writing

In Broadway, Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

If, as Monty Python famously urges, we should always look on the bright side of life, then the brighter side of death are obituaries. They’re one of my absolutely favourite forms of journalism, and I read them just as avidly as I read the best critics; and it’s for the same reasons.

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The Show People Podcast: Back from Broadway, musicals leading man Alistair Brammer

In Audio, Broadway, Features, Interviews, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion by Andrew KeatesLeave a Comment

It’s the hottest day of the year when this podcast is recorded – and we’ve got a leading man to match! Actor Alistair Brammer joins host and director Andrew Keates for this episode of the Show People Podcast, after playing Chris in both the Broadway and West End productions of Miss Saigon.

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Review: The Sound of Music (Tour)

In Musicals, Reviews by Johnny FoxLeave a Comment

The mammoth Bill Kenwright year-long tour provides a perfect lens through which to examine the durability and the curiosity of The Sound of Music. On the 50th anniversary of the movie release it’s tempting to believe British audiences come more to see a re-enactment of Julie Andrews’ personal triumph than a sugared and Popishly corrupted version […]

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A diary of addiction: five star nights at The Sound of Music and Sweeney Todd, and Talking About Critics

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

I’m obviously slackening off: in the three weeks I’ve kept this online diary now, I’ve seen 10 shows, 7 shows and 6 shows respectively. And — shock horror — looking at my diary for the week ahead, I’ve actually got two nights that are (so far) unplanned!

But it’s really rather good to keep some flexibility in my diary; although parts of it inevitably fill up several months in advance, it’s always good to have a spare night or two in there to accommodate a surprise, a recommendation, something I want to see again, or simply to have a night off! (Last night we stayed in and caught up on some long-ago recorded telly, including the sorrowful end of the brilliant Russell T Davies series Cucumber, and the joyous Bette Midler ITV Christmas special — at 69 years old, she’s still as dauntless and outrageous and stunning as ever!)

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Is Into the Woods one of the best stage-to-screen musicals of all time?

In Features, Musicals, Opinion, Photos by Terri PaddockLeave a Comment

I’m jealous of guests attending the UK gala screening of Into the Woods tonight at London’s Curzon Mayfair cinema. Not for the celeb-spotting, paparazzi-dodging, canape-scarfing or any other red carpet reason. But simply because they get to watch this fantastic, fantastical film. Indeed, I’ll extend my envy to anyone booking to see Into the Woods this weekend or […]

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Review: The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)

In Musicals, Reviews by Johnny FoxLeave a Comment

At the press night of Thom Southerland’s brilliantly-staged, been-so-long-in-the-water-it’s-shrunk-to-the-size-of-Southwark-Playhouse Titanic, there was considerable debate about whether it “mattered” if you knew the outcome of the story before seeing the musical. But sometimes knowing the story is what helps you go to the musical in the first place – at The Color Purple, it was patently women who’d […]

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Review: The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)

In Musicals, Reviews by Johnny FoxLeave a Comment

At the press night of Thom Southerland’s brilliantly-staged, been-so-long-in-the-water-it’s-shrunk-to-the-size-of-Southwark-Playhouse Titanic, there was considerable debate about whether it “mattered” if you knew the outcome of the story before seeing the musical. But sometimes knowing the story is what helps you go to the musical in the first place – at The Color Purple, it was patently women who’d […]

The post Review: The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) appeared first on JohnnyFox.

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Star Turns Part Two: The Sound of Music

In Musicals, Reviews by Johnny FoxLeave a Comment

Fast forward to Friday. During the afternoon, I had an appointment at the London Palladium to negotiate its hire for the London Gay Men’s Chorus Christmas show and it was more than exciting to be on that stage, especially as it was maintenance day for Sound of Music and the mountain was rotating on its […]

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