All that and a load of shiz!

So I haven't blogged in a while. I guess I should start by briefly covering the closing of Legally Blonde, although not much detail is needed. As many of you already know we camped all night for tickets, I'm not gonna lie it was quite painful with no sleep but we kept ourselves amused. The rest of the day was pretty shocking. The matinee was funny although I can't remember half of it and the evening show was a blur of mixed emotions and tears. It was sad that the show had ended, but on a different level to the actual show ending (if that makes sense lol). The show held many fond memories for me, it was the place I first met Sheridan and the place I met most of my current friends, it was a place we could all go and share a common interest and have a good time. The 'was' is probably the key word here, as near the end all that fizzled out. The show, for me, was picked apart bit by bit nearer the end and all the best bits were gradually taken out leaving the shell of a show that used to provide so much joy. Had the show have ended back in Oct with the cast, people and atmosphere I adored I think I may have felt a lot differently.

Did I sit and dwell on the end and swear against the theatre? Did I f**k! The next week we attended the Olivier event in Covent Garden, it was brilliant fun with some amazing performances, an awkward 'I've never seen another Glinda' moment, a fan gurl moment in the middle of Leicester Square and a signing lady who made for fantastic viewing!

Onwards and upwards and we throw ourselves back into the theatre with a double show day! Wizard of Oz matinee and Singing In The Rain for the evening! Great fun with great people! Wizard of Oz was your typical family fun show. Sophie Evans did a fantastic job as Dorothy and the Tin Man left a lasting memory! The show embraces the audience with its "snowing" all over you and the witch and a monkey appearing from the ceiling amongst the audience. Do I think the show will last? No. Although a good watch I'm not sure it's the type of show that will grab audiences to want to return over and over and with the stories of Andrew Lloyd Webber shutting all his theatres for the Olympics, I just can't see it reopening.
We then shuffle on over to the Palace for Singing In The Rain, I did enjoy the show although the first half did drag a little, apparently due to them having to wait for the rain before the interval so they can clean up after, but there was a kind of atmosphere around 15 to 20 minutes before the interval of everyone in the theatre thinking, yet not saying, 'hurry up and rain cos I need to move' lol! The cast were so enthusiastic and their performance's could not be faulted, I kinda wish we'd been sat in the splash zone though as the cast take great pleasure in soaking the audience during the title song, which is performed twice. And in-keeping with the theme, when we came out for the interval is was raining!

So next we head on down to West End Eurovision! The cast of WWRY did a brilliant opening number and it set an accurate standard for the rest of the show. All the shows that took part were full of enthusiasm and gave it there all. despite it being the early hours of the morning and most of them had probably done an evening show that day. A few surprises with some acts, with Shayne Ward making an appearance during Rock of Ages song and Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton appearing during Sweeney Todd's performance. The performance's that stick in my head are Rock of Ages, Sweeney Todd and Wizard of Oz.
Although the evening didn't go without a few (or 100) technical hitches! There were many problems with the backing screens, getting the video's up, keeping them in sync, having sound at all! Lots of problems with microphones, one time prompting Les Mis to rebegin their performance all together. And they even brought a megaphone at one point!!! The worst was probably the fact they couldn't seem to get the voting board to work correctly and after around 4-5 of the musicals had already read their results and the board not updating they decided to start it all again, which didn't work either. It's now around 2:15-2:30 in the morning and people were starting to get bored/frustrated and people did actually begin to leave. They decided to just work out the results back stage and announce the winner after. Gaby Roslin and John Partridge were doing their hardest to keep people gripped but in the end it fell to Kerry Ellis to come on and sing to bring the crowd back up again. She sung Somebody To Love, I'm guessing this was the easiest choice given where we were. You can't fault Kerry's voice, but there was a very slight awkwardness as she didn't seem to quite remember the words or arrangement of the song. But it did seem to gear everyone up a bit. Although evidentially not as awkward as the terrible performance given by Javine! I cringed for her, it was awful! The shows ending was very weird, they announced Sweeney Todd as the winner and they came on to collect the trophy, but they then walked off, the house lights went up and everyone left :/ There was no speech from them and no kind of ending speech from anyone to say thanx for coming, hope to see you again next year and I'm lead to believe that in past years the winner has preformed again after winning, which Sweeney Todd did not. I am guessing this may have been because the show had been pushed back due to technically hitches but still very odd.
I also found it weird that despite them making many references to last years show, not once was the fact Legally Blonde had won it mentioned.

So the next day we decided, that despite not going to bed til around 4:30am and being up at 7am we should go to the theatre that night! By some weird twist we ended up with tickets to The Sunshine Boys opening night. It all happened so quick, we only went into ask the price of dayseats and walked out with 3 front row tickets!
It was so surreal! A theatre which was once decorated with pink and fluffiness was now dull and life like. There was no cast board, just a lonely looking platform. Walking down the stairs to the auditorium felt almost normal, nice, comfortable. Then we step inside! It's weird, very weird. It was like being in a completely different theatre. The walls are no longer covered with red velvet, they are now stripped back to the original silver paint work (Which could really do with a lick of paint). This somehow makes it look so much bigger. And not forgetting the reintroduction of row AA due to no orchestra pit. The stage is also lower and looks wider without the side borders and lights etc. One of the strangest things was probably walking down and not being greeted with a 'At this performance the role of . . . . will be performed by . . . ' poster!
The show in itself was good, I can't say I'll be rushing back but it was a funny show. Danny DeVito was very good and was on the stage for most of the show. The chemistry between him and Adam Levy, who plays his nephew was brilliant, as was his chemistry with Richard Grffiths. The story line was ok, but not amazing. There were a couple of line stumbles, but being the first show I'm sure nerve's weren't helping with this! Stage door after was just a joke, loads of ebayers waiting before we'd even left the theatre. One of whom decided to tell me he had brought tickets for tonight (28th) But if he had tickets cos he was a fan it doesn't really explain why he bothered to stage door a day early and had a bag full of promo pictures to get signed! I'm not an idiot I know what ebayers look like lol! Especially when they have a clipboard in their hands with many promo pictures on, plus I've seen most of them at other stage doors and red carpet events. We decided not to bother with the stage door as we simply couldn't be bothered to compete. It annoys me that money grabbing ebayers ruin it for paying costumers. All we wanted to do was tell Danny DeVito we loved his work ;).

I also want to give a little mention to Dawn Sievewright, as before all this exciting stuff above happened we went to see her in a play showcase. She was brilliant! So much talent right there and I seriously believe someone needs to hire her soon cos the west end is missing out!
Also a mention to Carley Stenson's cabaret night, brilliant show, amazing voice. The 'And Friends' were also fantastic! I can't help but feel the audience could have given a little more, when she sang So Much Better I felt for the piano man who had to do the 'whoa' and 'hello' For the "And you'll go 'Whoa' much better, 'Hello' much better" I felt maybe they thought people would join in with it, but I guess there wasn't that many LB fans so maybe people didn't get it lol! Although there were 3 female LB cast members there so they could have got up really :P! I loved the song that Carley wanted to do on her return to Hollyoaks, which was Now I Can Dance. I don't really understand why Hollyoaks didn't pick it, as I feel the lyrics are much more fitting for the situation. I have uploaded it here for anyone who would like to listen, I'm sure you'll agree about the lyrics.

So what's next? A bit of Jersey Boys on Tuesday, a few different tours, a couple of trips to Shrek, maybe a trip back to Sing in the Rain if a certain understudy gets on and as for the rest, will have to see where the wind takes me!

#thatawkwardmoment when you block all your fans

Most people have been keeping up with the goings on with LB. If you don't know whats going on, cos you've like been under a rock for the past couple of weeks or something. Basically LB is shutting, Aoife wants returns as Brooke, Tamara tweets a few things, Aoife speaks to the paper, Aoife joins twitter, returns as Brooke and then blocks everyone that Tamara has tweeted.

So Aoife joined twitter, once people began to realise, she was followed by her fans. Yesterday it becomes apparent that she has now gone through and blocked many people on twitter (Quite impressive by someone who 2 days ago claimed she didn't know how to use twitter). We at first thought she must have blocked anyone who followed her and had mentioned Tamara, but it then spiralled that this was not the case, she has blocked many people, including myself who didn't even follow her, or Char who's tweets are locked so she couldn't have seen anything that she had tweeted.
So we are now lead to believe that Aoife has gone onto Tamara's twitter and basically blocked everyone she has tweeted in the last few weeks or anyone who has a profile picture with Tamara in it.

When this situation first arose everyone was very quick too jump upon the band wagon and claim how petty Tamara had been in airing her views via twitter, now I'm sorry but I find this pretty petty, blocking all of Tamara's fans! Wasting time, very clearly stalking your rival, just to be able to say none of her fans follow you! Well bit of news, you missed a couple!
If you don't like someone then fair enough, but to waste your time doing that is just sad! She keeps blocking at this rate and she'll only have the cast left by the time the show ends! And what happens if one of the cast she follows begins a discussion with Tamara via twitter, will she block them too? Where will it end?

No one is totally getting the full story here and everyone is going to side with their favourite and that's fine we are all entitled to our favourites, but stop making this personal.  How many of you have actually met them both? How many of you have had conversations with each of them? I've met both Tamara and Aoife and neither are horrible people, they are both in fact very nice people who have both been thrown into a situation that quite frankly, if the producers would have been honest from the start, could have been avoided. I probably have been seen to pick a side, not because I hate the other person, but because that's what I prefer, that's where my heart goes most. My last blog was not being a personal attack to her, it was simple stating my views and what I thought of the performance. If they can't handle criticism then maybe they shouldn't be in that profession. Any industry you work in, your going to get judged on the way you do things. I know people judge me everyday for how I do my job, but I'm happy with how I perform at work and so are my bosses, so anyone else's opinion, to me, doesn't really matter.
It's a harsh world out there, you either let it effect you or you rise above it and be the best you can be. If you know your doing your best and your fans support you then what others say shouldn't worry you. If it does, then you're probably not completely happy with yourself anyway and that's something only you can deal with.

I have always said that if you don't like what I write on my blog then tough shit! It's my blog and I write my views on it. Yes they are different to other peoples but then again if we all thought the same it would be a pretty boring world out there. I can only hope this whole stupid situation doesn't make for awkward viewing on the last night, otherwise it could be a very interesting two shows :/

So maybe the truth would be better

Anyone who read my post yesterday will probably know it's not about Les Mis. I wrote it in code so not to get abuse, but you know what, bring it, I don't care.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and a blog is just one the ways people use to share it.

So no Aoife's Brooke wasn't for me and not because she came back off maternity leave and kicked Tamara out. I have been seeing the show since the previews and saw Aoife playing the role before I saw Tamara. I never disliked Aoife's Brooke, just once I had seen others I preferred them. Aoife is one of 5 Brookes I have seen, she isn't my favourite, but then again she isn't my worst either.

Aoife puts a completely different spin onto the role and it's not one I like.  She plays the role very soft and personally I like the fierceness that Tamara and Jane bring to the role. When I saw Tamara as an understudy playing the role I always thought she had a much stronger voice and to be honest was confused as to why she was only an understudy
When she got the part full time I was so excited. I attended both Aoife's last show and Tamara's second official Brooke show (I did have tickets for her first but due to Sheridan illness and my cousin only wanting to see her as Elle, we had to swap). Tamara was perfect for the role and they were right in giving it to her.
I loved going up to the Savoy and giving her my support, especially when they wanted to replace her with a "name"! We know how Legally Blonde love a "name" (Name normally meaning some Z list celebrity who has appeared on telly once or twice e.g stunt casting).

I have since then attended the show on a regular basis and love watching Tamara as Brooke. I have seen both understudies, Jane and Tara, and have also seen the tour Brooke, Hannah Grover. Jane and Tara put a similar spin on the part as Tamara, were as Hannah played the part very much like Aoife.

Now, like many LB fans, when it was announced it was closing I was upset, this show has been a massive part of my life. So then the next day to find out Tamara wouldn't even be ending the run, this upset me even more. Tamara has been a massive part of the show and played a big part in why I enjoyed it so much.

Now I know everyone was "horrified" by the way Tamara took to twitter about the whole situation, but she was upset and I'm sure we've all taken to twitter in a time of upset and said things we shouldn't. What happened next was what horrified me more! A bunch of Aoife's "Friends" and "fans" taking to facebook to slag Tamara off, yea that's really grown up! Then topped off with a bunch of so called fans of the show (Who haven't actually seen the show with Tamara as full time Brooke) Jumped on the band wagon and also jumped on facebook to defend her and slag Tamara off a bit more! Many of these "fans" who hadn't seen her as full time Brooke, still found the need to lay into her about something, that quite frankly without being in the situation, you don't understand! If you haven't seen them both in the role full time, then you don't have an opinion!! Tamara was upset and if anyone (Papers included) had bothered to speak to her, they'd have realised how the whole situation had effected her. Tamara was one of only 6 original cast members left, she has been there since day one, I'm sure even the smallest minded of people can understand that she would want to finish a show she's been in for over 2 years!

Now I'm not a total dickhead, I have always known Aoife was only on maternity leave and that she would come back, but I just find it all very convenient that they chose the day after the shutting is announced to tell Tamara she's out of a job. If this was, as Aoife claims, been the plan since Nov/Dec time, then why was it that no-one was told! If Tamara had known before they knew it was shutting, she wouldn't have reacted the way she did. Tara would have been informed also and the cogs would have been set in motion to move Tamara back to her original roles (Yes she was completely within her rights to take her old roles back as Tara was also only maternity cover, but after knowing the way she felt finding out she wouldn't end the show, she didn't want to do that to someone else. Anyone who bothered to take the time to speak to her would also have known this).

Everything still seems a little bit suspect to me, I mean you'd have thought for her big first night back her friends/family/fans would want to be right up front to give her the support she deserves (Like on Tamara's last night when the whole front row was filled with fans showing their support) but instead they appeared to be somewhere up in either the dress or grand circle :/

So anyway lets get onto the show itself! Everything I said in the last blog was true, the wig was one of the strangest ones I've ever seen on a cast member! Like a peroxide blonde wavy thing with massive fringe and chavvy side ponytail, I am aware this was probably not her choice, but why they couldn't have just used her old wig I've no idea. Oh and the whole coming back midweek thing ¬_¬!

So obviously she's not in much of the first half, then we move to the second half! Her voice was weak, she had a lot of trouble hitting and holding some of the notes. And yes she has been off for over a year looking after her baby, but if she always knew she was going to return than you'd have thought she'd have kept her voice trained. It's clear she's been hitting the gym or working out as she has regained her pre-pregnancy figure

As previously described the whole show was like a car crash! I couldn't not look at her! I missed so many of Tamara's little bits she did and cheering for her! Her little facial expressions and There! Right There! will never be the same again :(! Oh on FYI it's just 'Ladies', there's no 'sing it with me' and the line is 'A delta Nu would never sleep with a guy wearing a thong'

Now I'm sure many of you are sitting there thinking why did I even go? Well it's simple, I wanted to get it over with. With the end in sight I didn't want to put off seeing it for to long, as I did when Sheridan left, since it is my favourite show in the westend I want to see it as much as I can before it closes. To be honest, at the moment I'm not in a mad rush to go back, I don't feel the need to get out of my bed at 4am tomorrow to rush up there as I normally would on a Saturday morning. I do need to get over all this though as I do not want the last 8 weeks to be ruined because I can't watch half of the second act! The atmosphere of the show was very weird and I'd go as far as to say it is in my top 3 worst times I've seen it!

My name's Nkki, I don't like change. Feel free to send me abuse via idontgiveshit@hotmail.com failing that you can always contact me on twitter

So I went to the theatre

Now for the purpose of this blog and me not getting into trouble I went to see Les Mis, and there was a new Eponine.

It was very strange for me as I really liked the old Eponine, I was also sat in a different place than I am used to sitting when I go to this show. As I approach the Queens Theatre I notice some of the picture's have been changed. Straight away this hurts =(, Once inside I discover a new programme has been issued, using a cleverly cropped picture.

So curtain up for the first half, and Eponine appears in a new wig, it's a very weird and a different wig than previously worn by past Eponine's. My heart was telling me not to look, but my head was looking! The best way I can describe this is a bit like a car crash, you don't want to look at it, but you can't not!

Now as we all know Eponine is mostly in the second Act of the show and sings her own song. I think Eponine may have let her voice go slightly and did not always follow the normal choreography. Certain parts were lacking and certain parts were greatly missed. I think it may have been she was a bit nervous and possibly trying a bit to hard to show she deserved the role. There was that slight smugness there too. It was a really awkward atmosphere, it felt like all eyes were on her. The rest of the cast were all professional, although there was one cast member my heart went out to.

It maybe that my judgement was slightly clouded as I loved the old Eponine so much and didn't want her to leave. I think it is best for me to give it a few weeks and return to the show when she has settled into the role a little more and make my judgement then.

Tbh I don't have much more to say on this as I think my face during and after the show said it all. Please don't be put off my judgement tho and go along to Les Mis and make your own judgement, everyone has their own views and favourites, these are just mine. I'm just a little annoyed with the new Eponine for ruining the next couple of months for me :(.
I will just say it was in my top 3 of worst shows I've seen in all the time I've been watching Les Mis

Tamara's Last Night :(

So as many of you are probably aware it was Tamara's last night at Legally Blonde last night. Sads :(.

So we got up at stupid o'clock to dayseat, but it was worth it!
Saw her before the show and she was over whelmed with the book that Jodie did.

So muck-up, First off nobody else opened their windows straight away in Omigod You Guys.
Then in Act 2, when she does the 'Just because were at Boston Women's correctional facility etc' They all came forward but no one started skipping.
Carley did 'You are a Delta nu' really high and Tamara copied.
Tamara did her old 'lipo' *clears her throat* 'lipo'.
Tara put the "Uniform" right up in her face before Gay or European.
Tamara did 'Wears a kilt and bears a purse' alone.
The court scene after Remix Lucy gave Tamara a picture of Martina to sign instead of Dvd.
Jane said (She was Chutney) 'Do you think I like being nearly as old as my dads new arm candy wife'
Tamara left a massive pause between 'No one had to know I had liposuction on my theighs' and 'ooopppssss' Prompting a round of applause!

In the evening we basically just cheered her every time she was on the stage lol! Standing ovation when the curtain went up for second act. She sung 'One last time' and we all shouted it at the same time. she did the big pause again and got a round of applause, we also held up a banner that said 'WE STILL LOVE YOU' in the appropriate spot.
Obviously she got a standing ovation in the bows and Peter brought on a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine and all cast were pointing at her as the curtain went down.

She was so lovely at stage door all three times we saw her and was so happy with the send off she got. And in classic Tamara style, she was in a dress and heels, yet still had her yellow puffa on! Love her!

And just to make the night even more special it snowed, which I'm sure was just for her ;)!

So I went to see Legally Blonde on tour

It was all a very weird feeling being at a different theatre to start with, then the different cast, props, scenery, lines and dances where dances aren't normally.

We had an understudy Emmett on, and Faye said Mo-biles like how Carley has changed it to.
Anyway onto the show. so it starts, no house, all the delta nu's are already on the stage. The music is slightly different. The start is a little dance then end they up with the book at a table, queue Margot, Serena and Pilar's parts. The tour Margot is amazing, I really liked her and I would quite possibly rate her my second favourite. The girl playing Serena was very good, a bit like Nicola (From west end). Pilar was very different to me as she was very tall and skinny, she played the role as I could imagine Danielle doing it. So when all the windows normally open they did this little dance instead. There was no "Sorelle" Doing the 'shut up Elle, shut up Warner' bit. They wheel a clothes rail on with Faye behind and a curtain comes down which she steps through as her entrance.

For the beginning of Serious Neil just walked on from the side of the stage, which I didnt really understand cos they was a door on stage :/. The way they acted it was slightly different, but not a lot of change from the west end. (If I'm honest I didn't pay as much attention to this song as there was one of the male cast getting changed in full view)

Daughter of delta nu very the same, Faye then walks on from the side of the stage, no 'Snap it out' though. Then into What You Want. Mum and dad came of with a golf bag on wheels and when they sing 'You must admit that Elle Woods should join the chosen few' Faye says 'that's me' between Elle and Woods!

I must admit the girl who plays Enid was not for my liking. She looked like Chloe (Kate/Chutney from west end) and I can imagine her playing it the same. Her 'Enid Hoops' in Variations was just kinda said :/. I really loved Matthew Kelly as Callahan! He sort of shimmied around the stage in a slightly camp but still meanish way! He's ending bit, the whole 'And if you return, be ready to learn' was funny, he just kinda kept doing this like dancy/stagey pointing (you probably had to be there lol)

The greek chorus came from either side of the stage and positive went as normal. I'm thinking 'EW' when she says 'With the stick that's up her butt' comes from there as they did it and it's now in the west end.

Faye didn't do the whole 'Now he's dddd *vom* ddddd *vom* DATING this eveil preppy' I thought Claire Sweeney was really good. her Ireland was great, she didn't do the high octative, but, ya know not everyone does. Also no counter in the salon.

Faye is the possibly the skinnest Elle I've ever seen! When she came on in the bunny costume is was kinda like a floating bunny outfit lol o_O!

Chip On My Shoulder, well I managed to stay awake for the whole thing, which is pretty impressive recently. The bedroom was very different, mainly missing a bed! and when the delta nu's came on they kinda did a little dancy bit! And no kick from Michael Vinsen (Who played Emmett) people who know me will know this is something that bugs me lol.

So Much Better was really good! Obviously no lift. They did the dance that they would do when it was being performed on TV. She hit and held the end note well

Brooke reminded me of Aoife. I don't really have much else to say on that song lol.

Take It Like A Man, they didn't have the big door bits, just 2 clothes rails and the back bit of the shop was flat.

Bend And Snap, There! Right There! and legally Blonde pretty much the same. Apart from in BAS the girls pop up from behind the chairs instead of come up on a lift.

Remix, Charlotte Harwood missed the line 'I used to pray for the day you'd leave' cos the band did something very odd :S she looked a bit peeved then came in for 'Swore up and down you did not belong'.

Find My Way was pretty much the same.

All in all I enjoyed it. I thought Faye was brilliant, she has a very delicate, beautiful voice, but I'd put her up in my list as joint 3rd. Michael who played Emmett was brilliant. As I've said main Delta Nu's all good. Kate/Chutney was good but no Dawn Sievewright, Although she did shout the whole 'Do you think being younger than my dad's new arm candy wife' something I think the new west end one lacks. I liked Charlotte's voice, although she wasn't very bitchy. The woman who played Sorelle's parts,  was ok, although I'm not to sure on the accent. She looked a bit like how I could imagine Julie La Grand looking if she played the part lol!
Oh and Kyle was very good! Not quite Chris or Stephen but still very good ;)