LONDON
Christmas 1999
Just got back from 5 days in London. Saw 8 shows (would have been 9, but no Sunday performances) and 3 museum exhibitions, along with a bit of shopping and socializing.
Day One/Wed: Warm & sun shine on & off, so head to Dress Circle (usually
my first stop) and followed with a couple discount CD spots. Got my Mama Mia ticket for later in the week, lucky because there was only ONE ticket left!! and headed to National Portrait Gallery for Faces Of The Century Show. Fascinating photo exhibit of "the social, political and cultural life of Britain in the 20th Century" Than headed to Maggie Smith in Michael Bennetts's Lady in the Van. This was one of the high points of trip. Dame Smith is a joy to watch and Nicholas Farrell and Kevin McNally as Michael Bennett's alter egos were a real match for Ms Smith!! There was now time to check into my room at the Russell Hotel(glorious turn-of-the-century hotel on Russell Square which I feel in love with my first trip to London). For that evening I picked-up 1/2 price ticket to A Saint She Ain't. Prefect for my first night (remember I flew all night and had 4-5 sleep on plane). It was light (very Off-Broadway) with solid comic performances, but I like cast recording
better as it eliminates some of the "shtick". And now back to the Russell Hotel for a sound night's sleep.
Day Three/Fri: Went to Alfie's Antique Market on Church St. After wandering though this huge market, I found some nice Sondheim memorabilia and had a big English breakfast before heading to Leicester Square for 1/2 price evening theatre tickets and wondering around Covent Gardens. Unfortunately The Royal did open to the Public until Monday, but Steven's promised to take me on a tour next May. Grabbed a bite at Ed's Diner (a touch of old USA and bets McDonald's) before heading to Mama Mia for a 5:00pm show. FUN, FUN, FUN... lots of good ABBA tunes with an attractive cast which rules out any stereo-type ideas of "the pasty English bodies". There was just enough time to head the Lyric for Alan Ayckbourn hit comedy, Comic Potential with the fabulous musical-comedy star, Janie Dee. What a treat!!! And add in David Soul (yes, that one...Starsky & Hutch) and Matthew Cottle and you have an enjoyable evening, The play could have used a little trimming but was funny.
Day Four/Sat: Had a late breakfast with Mel Atkey (CASTRECL list) and spent a couple hours talking about theatre in London, Toronto and NYC. He gave me a tape of his Music which I'll have to take time later today and give a serious listen (a separate report will follow). Than went back to Oxford to buy a charcoal grey jacket I'd seen earlier as it had turned a bit cooler (like I needed a reason!!) and than headed to a matinee of Casper. This was my one Theatre Mistake!!! Far too cute and poppish,,,, should have gone to Whistle Down the Wind!! Oh well, made up for it with Gilded Dragons- Buried Treasures From China's Golden Ages at the British Museum. Then to kill time between shows, I went to Harrod's to see their Christmas Windows which made Macy's look tacky... Lots of gilts and crystal. I also found my Disney Dolls, The Wicked Queen/Snow White and Maleficent/Sleeping Beauty and even with shipping were cheaper in UK than in NYC (so of course I did!!). I than headed to a fringe production (Off-Off-Broadway) production of Bette Bourne (of Bloolips fame) in Resident Alien, a play based on Quentin Crisp life in NYC after leaving London, who just recently died. Having seen Mr Crisp in NYC a number of times, I was impressed with the spirit of Mr Crisp which Mr. Bourne was able to capture. Touching and very English way to finish my theatre in London. What I especially liked was the insight from the English-side of Mr Crisp's observations as given to an English audience and not an American one.
Day Five/Sun: Beautiful sunny morning, so I headed to the Embankment Gardens (a favorite spot of mine on the Thames) via Trafalgar Square and had an English breakfast and read the Sunday paper. Afterwards, strolled by the London Eye (a 450 ft./135 meter observation wheel to celebrate The Millennium). Quite a sight to see this gigantic ferris wheel setting on the edge of the Thames (will try to book a ride in May). Than on back to Harrod's to buy a few Christmas ornaments. Stopped at the National gallery to see Renaissance Florence. Quite amazing... Verrrocchio, Botticelli and da Vinci. Made me so happy to realize I'll be in Rome and Venice in May. And there was a drawing in the show, I remember be memorized with as a child and looking at an art book at my Grandparent's summer home (cottage for the Mid-Westerners and English), There was time for Tea at the Hotel before taking the bus along Oxford Street, bright with Christmas lights (feeling more and more like Christmas) on the way to Paddington Station to catch the new high speed train to Heathrow Airport. I do not understand why NYC doesn't have something so wonderful ... clean, fast, comfortable and very fast!!! Although the Airport was Hell, complicated, long lines and a general hassle... much easier leaving JFK. But the flight home was fine and lots of room to spread out.
Cheers, Michael
PS. Some Cd tips: ***Steven Houghton (of Spend, Spend, Spend), ***Linzi Hateley's (of Carrie: the Musical) For the First Time and ****Chris Coleman's It's Time For Roses (which has a nice version of Help Is On the Way for you Nancy LaMott or David Friedman fans) and when it's released ****Spend, Spend, Spend.
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London
May 2000
I arrived in London, Wednesday, May 10th (on my way to Rome and Venice), in time to check into my hotel, the Marbledom Court which is located conveniently between King's Cross and Euston Metro stations. This allows me to take the tube (Piccadilly Line) directly from the airport to hotel. Tried the new high speed train last December but it actually took longer, with having to change at Paddington Station (so much for "high speed" tech).
Of course, the first stop was Dress Circle to see what new CDs were available. Beside, I had to kill time till 1/2 price ticket booth opened. Because I'd flown all night (got 4 or 5 hours sleep on plane I looked for "lively" fare for my first day's shows. Also was able to have lunch with Mel Atkey, a composer friend from my CASTRECL internet group. We had a lively discussion about current treads in musical theatre, we both like "melody" in our music, and talked about the "hostility" which sometimes surfaces in our group. I'd temporally stopped posts (with Irv forwarding any of interest, usually about new CDs) after Jim's death as I just didn't feel a need to deal with the "negativity" sometimes generated by some in this group.
Settled for LAUTREC (music and Lyrics by Charles Aznavor - the French singer) as my matinee show. Despite mediocre reviews, I throughly enjoyed this musical. After this trip, I've decided London critics are even worse than NY critics. Sadly the theatre was only half filled but everyone there seemed to enjoy the show which was beautifully staged and well sung and acted. There may be this English/French thing happening as every recent French originated show has been panned. Cast recording has been on and off because of bad reviews, but it deserves to be recorded.
After the matinee, I went looking at Moorcroft Pottery. I try to find one piece each trip to London. This time it was a beautiful ginger jar at Liberty Of London (my usual ). So now I have a 5 piece collection of this pottery with it's incredible glaze. Bought it and said I'd pick it up on way back to NYC, in two weeks. There was also an interesting ARTS and CRAFTS show with furniture and ceramics from the 1880-1914 Liberty collections. There were some amazing pieces in the show.
Finally got to see WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, another show which didn't receive very favorable reviews. Many of my friends, who had seen the show, enjoyed it, as did I. Still not sure why the location was changed (from the English countryside - remember Hayley Mills and Alan Bates? - to southern America), had to make it harder for the actors to keep their accents constant. Again, enjoyed this Andrew Lloyd Webber show, with David Shannon now in the lead. Even a "hummable" tune or two and some spectacular effects.
On Thursday, I met my friend, Stephen, a retired thespian, for lunch before seeing Kathleen Turner in THE GRADUATE (based on the 1967 film). Stephen has a delightful apartment close to my hotel, the walls filledwith photographs, paintings and other memorabilia from his long history with Theatre and Dance. If they were anyone, Stephen knew them. After a light lunch, we saw the light, entertaining matinee. Ms Turner looks "fabulous" and played Mrs. Robinson with a nice edge. Matthew Rhys, in the Dustin Hoffman role, was quite believable, There was quite a bit of story added to the end and explores their relationship after the disrupted marriage scene. After the matinee, we headed to Amato on Old Compton Street for "tea" at Stephen's favorite caffe's. Delightful !!! Recommend this spot before or after Theatre along Shaftebury Ave. The croissant sandwiches are wonderful and oh, the desserts:-)
Because there was almost no Cabaret in London right now (I was going to miss my friend, Lee Lessack's show by days at the end of my trip), I settled for THE JERMYN STREET REVIEW at, what else, The Jemyn Street Theatre. A combination of songs and sketches from Noel Coward, Jule Styne, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, John "Monty Python" Cleese, Tom Lehrer, Steven Sondheim, Billy Barnes, Jerry Herman, Cole Porter and Harold Pinter. Uneven but very interesting for anyone who's interested in what was happening in the "Golden Years" of this art form. Ok, many were now dated but for the most part interesting.
And among the cast, Issy Van Randwyck (Fascinating Aida, MOLL FLANDERS, KISS ME KATE and LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, plus solo CD), Frank Thorton (best know to American audiences as Captain Peacock on Are You Being Served?) and Judy Campbell (over sixty years of Theatre).
By the middle of my stay, I'd decided one day on the way back to NYC wasn't going to be enough, so after checking with the Hotel to make sure I could add an extra night, I changed my flight so I could stay two days on the way back.
Glad I did, as I was able to get to the new Tate Modern. Located in an old power station, this new art museum is a visual treat with it's soaring, open lobby, with great, oversize sculptures highlight the space. At least got to see the bridge that is so much in the news as of late. Seems it "sways" far too much and was closed the same day it opened.... not a good time for London's architecture (think Millennium Dome).
But I was impressed with the new Metro line, the Jubilee, with it's space age stations and high-tec looks. The platforms are completely enclosed and doors slide open as the train pulls into the station. This would allow air conditioning of the platforms and prevent the kind of problems we've recently had in NYC (people getting pushed onto the tracks).
My first night back in London, Monday, May 22, I saw the first preview of a new musical,
LA CAVA. Set in 8th Century Visigothic Spain, it is an epic (and sprawling) show about a general's daughter, wonderful played by Julie-Alanah Brighten, who brings down a nation to revenge her lover. Even though the first 30 minutes were a bit muddled and in need of editing, this show reminded me very much of MARTIN GUERRE (version 2), which most critics didn't like but audiences (including me) did. It has since opened to at best, mixed reviews. The book as dense and complicated but, at least, I found interesting. And there's some powerful music. Major complaint, was the sets were "too busy", meaning there was too much movement of the sets during the songs - trust the music.
On Tuesday, I hit one of my "must-see" stops, The National Portrait Gallery. They
always seem to have a show, or two, I find fascinating. This time was no exception. First was a small photo exhibition on the career of the recently knighted, Dame Taylor, high lighting both her personal life and her films.
There was also an extensive show featuring the photographs of Lord Snowdon's work of over five decades, highlighting his early news photos, his celebrity (including the recently deceased Barbara Cartland in all her Pink glory), dance and theatre photos and his fashion photos. Beautiful show and it also gave me a chance to wander around the new addition of this old friend. Amazing new space!
For my last night in London, I headed to the Royal Haymarket to see a musical version of Charles Dicken's Hard Times. This was a campy, Music Hall type show, with some old pros who seemed to be having a great time on stage, including Roy Hudd, Brian Blessed and a marvelous Ann Emery. While the show has, unsurprizing, gotten poor reviews since I returned, I did find it mildly amusing and not nearly as bad as the reviewers.
See ROME 2000 and VENICE 2000 for the rest of my trip
MJN
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LONDON
February 21 - 25, 2001
Well, call us "The Three Musketeers" or maybe "The Three Stooges" but off to London went Irv, David and myself with Irv's "Brother Dearest" also in hand. Of course, the first stop, after dropping the luggage off at the Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt (on Cromwell Road near the Gloucester Road tube stop) where Irv, David and I roomed, was Dress Circle and CD shopping. This is London's answer to New York's Footlight Records. As usual Chris G was helpful and I left with a number of CDs (including the delightful "Sisters" by Grania and Lizzy Reniham) and a promise to stop back (still had my coupons to redeem after all).
Since this was David's first trip to London, after a nice English breakfast near Leicester Square, we did a little "sightseeing" before the matinee of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. Charming show which just days later won a number of "Olivers " (London's Tony). It was well staged and the cast handled the roles well with Daniel Evans (Charley), Julian Ovenden (young Franklin) and Samantha Spiro (Mary) as real stand outs. I had a few quibbles with some of Peter Darling's choreography but all and all, a stunning production. Evans won Best Actor In a Musical, Spiro won Best Female In a Musical and the show won Best Musical... not bad!!
On my way back to the Hotel to clean-up for the evening, I met a gentleman, Lionel, from Sydney, as we were leaving to tube stop. So we went for cappuccino just around the corner from the Hotel. This is the thing I enjoy most about traveling, meeting and making new friends. Hopefully I will get to Australia this Fall.
It was a mad dash to the Aldwych Theatre for what was to be the highlight of my London theatre, SECRET GARDEN. It has taken almost 10 years for this show to reach London but well worth the wait!! Truly a beautiful and moving production, well cast and beautiful on the eyes and the ears. Would not surprise me, if this were next year's Olivier winner. Philip Quast was a stand-out as Archibald Craven and made "Lilly's Eyes" soar. And Craig Purnell (Dickon) and the rest of the cast were all superb. And even after only a few hours sleep the night before, on the flight to London, the show held my complete attention. Too bad the reviews were so mixed.
The three of us, David, Irv and me, than had a nightcap at Rupert Street in SoHo before heading back to the Hotel for a well earned night's sleep. After our pathetic instant coffee in the Hotel room, I head to the Royal Academy of Arts for an incredible show of Caravaggio and his contemporaries, THE GENIUS OF ROME: 1592 - 1623. An amazing collection of Caravaggio's paintings, including Gypsy Fortune Teller, Young Boy Peeling Fruit, The Musician, Cardsharps, The Lute Payer, The Stigmatisation of St Francis, St John the Baptist, The Entombment, Madonna di Loreto and one I'd missed in Rome, and probably one of my favorites, Boy With a Basket of Fruit. Truly a amazing assemblage of Caravaggio, all in one show.
I than met Irv and David for lunch. We decide to eat at The Ivy where we sat next to Andrew Lloyd Webber, who's offices are close by. Afterwards, David went off sightseeing and Irv and I headed to the Apollo to see Noel Coward's FALLEN ANGELS, a fun but somewhat weak comedy with Felicity Kendal and Frances de la Tour giving very broad, but delightful, performances. This is one of those "only in London would this work" plays. I would have loved to see Maggie Smith tackle de la Tour's role.
After the play, my friends, Chris Coleman, Jonathan Best and Stephen Warwick, met us outside the Theatre and we headed to Balan's on Old Compton Street for "tea"... actually I think Stephen was the only one who had tea. This was the perfect way to end the afternoon, with friends around a table, eating, drinking and talking.
Stephen walked Irv and I to the Royal Durry Lane Theatre where we were seeing WITCHES OF EASTWICK, along the way we ran into David who was on his way to see MAMA MIA (which I'd seen on my last trip)... London's too small!! While flawed, I enjoyed WITCHES, Irv on the other hand hated it, although I think he dozed through some of the things I liked best.
The casting was strong, with Lucie Arnaz a real stand-out. Ian McShane brought a nice blend of sardonic humor with a touch of sexiness to the role of the Devil and Maria Friedman and Joanna Riding were good companions to Ms Arnaz. There are a few strong moments such as "Dirty Laundry", "I Love a Little Town", "Dance With the Devil' and Ms Arnaz's second act opening number. "I wish I May" showed off her strong voice. The show should benefit from the planned move to a smaller theatre where, maybe, the flying scene won't seem quite so silly and the Devil's too RED house won't look quite so Norma-Desmond-in-Hell. Not a great show but it had it's entertaining moments.
Because someone in the audience became ill, the curtain was 45 minutes late and by the time we got to the bar where we were to meet David, closing time had long come and gone. It's hard to get used to these early (11pm) closings:-) And the tube stopping at midnight!! But we had a night cap in the Hotel room.
Friday morning I got an early start and off to a few antique markets in Chelsea before meeting Jonathan at Covent Gardens. Having forgotten about the LAURENCE OLIVIER AWARDS, I found the Royal Opera House closed to the public, so after lunch Jonathan and I, on the strong advise of Stephen, headed to Somerset House, an impressive Renaissance palace which houses the Courtauld Institute Galleries. In a dozen rooms, is housed a truly great collection of Italian Renaissance to post-impressionism paintings, Botticelli, Bellini, Ruben, Tiepolo, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh and many others.
After stopping at Dress Circle, Jonathan and I headed to the British Museum, where REMBRANDT: THE PRINTMAKER, 90 prints in all, was showing. After this, we choose High Tea in the newly opened Court Yard space (instead of Churchill's FAR AWAY). The restaurant was elegant and airy, a perfect spot to relax and consume large quantities of pastries after a long afternoon of galleries and museums.
Jonathan walked me to the Jermyn Street Theatre where I was to meet Chris and Stephen for the sold-out MAPP AND LUCIA. Chris had gotten us front row seats for this musical based on the campy EF Benson books about social rivals, Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Mrs Emmeline Lucas, living in a small English village, set between the Wars. While the lyrics were somewhat pedestrian, the musical captured the camp humor perfectly and was completely entertaining. As Paddy Glynn (Mrs Wyse) was ill, the director, Peter Benedict, took over the role, adding another layer of camp-value to the play. While no one could quite match the perfection of the BBC TV production, this one came close and Gaye Brown (Mapp) and stylized Aimi MacDonald (Lucia) were a delight to watch.
Afterward, the ever busy Stephen rushed off to another social engagement, leaving Chris and I to have cappuccinos and conversation in a SoHo coffee house. Of course caffeine at this time of the evening was not wise, so I stopped at a late night club, Brompton, on the way back to the Hotel. It was sort of the three "B's"... Boys, Beer and Bored. At least I saw it.
After a somewhat slow start on Saturday morning, I finally managed to see the the Vilar Floral Hall at the Royal Opera House and do a little shopping along Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circle before heading to the Lyric Hammersmith to see a Bollywood musical, FOURTEEN SONGS, TWO WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL. This light hearted romp was based on a highly successful Bollywood film of the same name. Highly stylized, it tells the story of two brothers and the sisters they love. The actors lip-synch to the prerecorded cast recording but if I hadn't known this, I would not have been able to tell, odd bit of theatre but as entertaining as all the other things I've see at this Theatre. And I loved the cast recording.
The evening brought NOTRA-DAME de PARIS, an overblown extravaganza. While many of the cast's voices were fine, the intense level of music never allowed the audience appreciate them. The sets were awful and the lighting, garish. There are a number of fairly well written songs (with poor translations) but they certainly got lost among all the flash. And the ending was one of the tackiest, I've witnessed. Three "dead Esmeraldas", suspended on wires, raising (withering) from the stage towards "Heaven". Like everything else about this show, overdone and a bit vulgar!
After packing and checking out of the Hotel, we met Chris and Morag McLaren for lunch. Morag's husband Hugh and I have been exchanging emails for awhile now and had planned on getting together while I was in London this trip. Unfortunately, Hugh got stuck with "fatherhood" duties so we had only the pleasant company of Morag, who had just return from a family visit from Edinburgh. But as I said it was "pleasant"!! Chris and Morag are old pals and, with both being cabaret singers, we spent most of our meal talking about cabaret and it's accompanying gossip. The Millennium's Olive Restaurant was a cozy spot with sun poring into the airy room through large windows. We decided it would make a wonderful cabaret space and we were ready to haul in a piano and start the singing. Chris talked me into having Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert... I could become addicted!! Oh Heaven!!!
MJN
Christmas 1999
Just got back from 5 days in London. Saw 8 shows (would have been 9, but no Sunday performances) and 3 museum exhibitions, along with a bit of shopping and socializing.
Day One/Wed: Warm & sun shine on & off, so head to Dress Circle (usually
my first stop) and followed with a couple discount CD spots. Got my Mama Mia ticket for later in the week, lucky because there was only ONE ticket left!! and headed to National Portrait Gallery for Faces Of The Century Show. Fascinating photo exhibit of "the social, political and cultural life of Britain in the 20th Century" Than headed to Maggie Smith in Michael Bennetts's Lady in the Van. This was one of the high points of trip. Dame Smith is a joy to watch and Nicholas Farrell and Kevin McNally as Michael Bennett's alter egos were a real match for Ms Smith!! There was now time to check into my room at the Russell Hotel(glorious turn-of-the-century hotel on Russell Square which I feel in love with my first trip to London). For that evening I picked-up 1/2 price ticket to A Saint She Ain't. Prefect for my first night (remember I flew all night and had 4-5 sleep on plane). It was light (very Off-Broadway) with solid comic performances, but I like cast recording
better as it eliminates some of the "shtick". And now back to the Russell Hotel for a sound night's sleep.
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| Russell Hotel |
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| Me in the Lobby |
Day Two/Thurs: Spent morning shopping (after all it's Christmas in London, too) along St. Martin's, Oxford and Regent Streets. Found another piece of Moorcroft for my small but growing collection, beautiful thin necked vase in one of their new patterns. The on to Noel Coward's Song at Twilight with Vanessa and Corin Redgrave and Colin's wife Kika Markham. The play is interesting but flawed as it's highly autobiographical and Mr and Mrs Redgrave were wonderful. Vanessa, however was a little over-the-top and mannered. After show I met Steven Warwick, a friend of Jon's (from Boston). What a delightful man!! He's an old dancer, singer, actor who seems to know the entire Who's Who of the last 50 years of Theatre. He delighted me with stories about the many people he's known over his 72 years until it was time for me to head to the Piccadilly Theater to saw Spend, Spend, Spend with Barbara Dickson. This show did what I wanted Marie Christine (which I saw right before I left for London).... moved me to tears!! Beautifully staged and well sung with a great score (two very fine ballads: Scars Of Love and Who Gonna Love Me). And if your interested, ask me about the Fireman scene! This was another high point!! (The whole play, not just the Fireman).
Day Three/Fri: Went to Alfie's Antique Market on Church St. After wandering though this huge market, I found some nice Sondheim memorabilia and had a big English breakfast before heading to Leicester Square for 1/2 price evening theatre tickets and wondering around Covent Gardens. Unfortunately The Royal did open to the Public until Monday, but Steven's promised to take me on a tour next May. Grabbed a bite at Ed's Diner (a touch of old USA and bets McDonald's) before heading to Mama Mia for a 5:00pm show. FUN, FUN, FUN... lots of good ABBA tunes with an attractive cast which rules out any stereo-type ideas of "the pasty English bodies". There was just enough time to head the Lyric for Alan Ayckbourn hit comedy, Comic Potential with the fabulous musical-comedy star, Janie Dee. What a treat!!! And add in David Soul (yes, that one...Starsky & Hutch) and Matthew Cottle and you have an enjoyable evening, The play could have used a little trimming but was funny.
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| Ed's Dinner |
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| Swarovski Window at Harrod's |
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| London Eye |
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| Embankment Gardens |
PS. Some Cd tips: ***Steven Houghton (of Spend, Spend, Spend), ***Linzi Hateley's (of Carrie: the Musical) For the First Time and ****Chris Coleman's It's Time For Roses (which has a nice version of Help Is On the Way for you Nancy LaMott or David Friedman fans) and when it's released ****Spend, Spend, Spend.
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London
May 2000
I arrived in London, Wednesday, May 10th (on my way to Rome and Venice), in time to check into my hotel, the Marbledom Court which is located conveniently between King's Cross and Euston Metro stations. This allows me to take the tube (Piccadilly Line) directly from the airport to hotel. Tried the new high speed train last December but it actually took longer, with having to change at Paddington Station (so much for "high speed" tech).
Of course, the first stop was Dress Circle to see what new CDs were available. Beside, I had to kill time till 1/2 price ticket booth opened. Because I'd flown all night (got 4 or 5 hours sleep on plane I looked for "lively" fare for my first day's shows. Also was able to have lunch with Mel Atkey, a composer friend from my CASTRECL internet group. We had a lively discussion about current treads in musical theatre, we both like "melody" in our music, and talked about the "hostility" which sometimes surfaces in our group. I'd temporally stopped posts (with Irv forwarding any of interest, usually about new CDs) after Jim's death as I just didn't feel a need to deal with the "negativity" sometimes generated by some in this group.
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| Dress Circle |
Settled for LAUTREC (music and Lyrics by Charles Aznavor - the French singer) as my matinee show. Despite mediocre reviews, I throughly enjoyed this musical. After this trip, I've decided London critics are even worse than NY critics. Sadly the theatre was only half filled but everyone there seemed to enjoy the show which was beautifully staged and well sung and acted. There may be this English/French thing happening as every recent French originated show has been panned. Cast recording has been on and off because of bad reviews, but it deserves to be recorded.
After the matinee, I went looking at Moorcroft Pottery. I try to find one piece each trip to London. This time it was a beautiful ginger jar at Liberty Of London (my usual ). So now I have a 5 piece collection of this pottery with it's incredible glaze. Bought it and said I'd pick it up on way back to NYC, in two weeks. There was also an interesting ARTS and CRAFTS show with furniture and ceramics from the 1880-1914 Liberty collections. There were some amazing pieces in the show.
Finally got to see WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, another show which didn't receive very favorable reviews. Many of my friends, who had seen the show, enjoyed it, as did I. Still not sure why the location was changed (from the English countryside - remember Hayley Mills and Alan Bates? - to southern America), had to make it harder for the actors to keep their accents constant. Again, enjoyed this Andrew Lloyd Webber show, with David Shannon now in the lead. Even a "hummable" tune or two and some spectacular effects.
On Thursday, I met my friend, Stephen, a retired thespian, for lunch before seeing Kathleen Turner in THE GRADUATE (based on the 1967 film). Stephen has a delightful apartment close to my hotel, the walls filledwith photographs, paintings and other memorabilia from his long history with Theatre and Dance. If they were anyone, Stephen knew them. After a light lunch, we saw the light, entertaining matinee. Ms Turner looks "fabulous" and played Mrs. Robinson with a nice edge. Matthew Rhys, in the Dustin Hoffman role, was quite believable, There was quite a bit of story added to the end and explores their relationship after the disrupted marriage scene. After the matinee, we headed to Amato on Old Compton Street for "tea" at Stephen's favorite caffe's. Delightful !!! Recommend this spot before or after Theatre along Shaftebury Ave. The croissant sandwiches are wonderful and oh, the desserts:-)
Because there was almost no Cabaret in London right now (I was going to miss my friend, Lee Lessack's show by days at the end of my trip), I settled for THE JERMYN STREET REVIEW at, what else, The Jemyn Street Theatre. A combination of songs and sketches from Noel Coward, Jule Styne, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, John "Monty Python" Cleese, Tom Lehrer, Steven Sondheim, Billy Barnes, Jerry Herman, Cole Porter and Harold Pinter. Uneven but very interesting for anyone who's interested in what was happening in the "Golden Years" of this art form. Ok, many were now dated but for the most part interesting.
And among the cast, Issy Van Randwyck (Fascinating Aida, MOLL FLANDERS, KISS ME KATE and LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, plus solo CD), Frank Thorton (best know to American audiences as Captain Peacock on Are You Being Served?) and Judy Campbell (over sixty years of Theatre).
By the middle of my stay, I'd decided one day on the way back to NYC wasn't going to be enough, so after checking with the Hotel to make sure I could add an extra night, I changed my flight so I could stay two days on the way back.
Glad I did, as I was able to get to the new Tate Modern. Located in an old power station, this new art museum is a visual treat with it's soaring, open lobby, with great, oversize sculptures highlight the space. At least got to see the bridge that is so much in the news as of late. Seems it "sways" far too much and was closed the same day it opened.... not a good time for London's architecture (think Millennium Dome).
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| Tate Modern |
But I was impressed with the new Metro line, the Jubilee, with it's space age stations and high-tec looks. The platforms are completely enclosed and doors slide open as the train pulls into the station. This would allow air conditioning of the platforms and prevent the kind of problems we've recently had in NYC (people getting pushed onto the tracks).
My first night back in London, Monday, May 22, I saw the first preview of a new musical,
LA CAVA. Set in 8th Century Visigothic Spain, it is an epic (and sprawling) show about a general's daughter, wonderful played by Julie-Alanah Brighten, who brings down a nation to revenge her lover. Even though the first 30 minutes were a bit muddled and in need of editing, this show reminded me very much of MARTIN GUERRE (version 2), which most critics didn't like but audiences (including me) did. It has since opened to at best, mixed reviews. The book as dense and complicated but, at least, I found interesting. And there's some powerful music. Major complaint, was the sets were "too busy", meaning there was too much movement of the sets during the songs - trust the music.
On Tuesday, I hit one of my "must-see" stops, The National Portrait Gallery. They
always seem to have a show, or two, I find fascinating. This time was no exception. First was a small photo exhibition on the career of the recently knighted, Dame Taylor, high lighting both her personal life and her films.
There was also an extensive show featuring the photographs of Lord Snowdon's work of over five decades, highlighting his early news photos, his celebrity (including the recently deceased Barbara Cartland in all her Pink glory), dance and theatre photos and his fashion photos. Beautiful show and it also gave me a chance to wander around the new addition of this old friend. Amazing new space!
For my last night in London, I headed to the Royal Haymarket to see a musical version of Charles Dicken's Hard Times. This was a campy, Music Hall type show, with some old pros who seemed to be having a great time on stage, including Roy Hudd, Brian Blessed and a marvelous Ann Emery. While the show has, unsurprizing, gotten poor reviews since I returned, I did find it mildly amusing and not nearly as bad as the reviewers.
See ROME 2000 and VENICE 2000 for the rest of my trip
MJN
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LONDON
February 21 - 25, 2001
Well, call us "The Three Musketeers" or maybe "The Three Stooges" but off to London went Irv, David and myself with Irv's "Brother Dearest" also in hand. Of course, the first stop, after dropping the luggage off at the Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt (on Cromwell Road near the Gloucester Road tube stop) where Irv, David and I roomed, was Dress Circle and CD shopping. This is London's answer to New York's Footlight Records. As usual Chris G was helpful and I left with a number of CDs (including the delightful "Sisters" by Grania and Lizzy Reniham) and a promise to stop back (still had my coupons to redeem after all).
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| Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt |
On my way back to the Hotel to clean-up for the evening, I met a gentleman, Lionel, from Sydney, as we were leaving to tube stop. So we went for cappuccino just around the corner from the Hotel. This is the thing I enjoy most about traveling, meeting and making new friends. Hopefully I will get to Australia this Fall.
It was a mad dash to the Aldwych Theatre for what was to be the highlight of my London theatre, SECRET GARDEN. It has taken almost 10 years for this show to reach London but well worth the wait!! Truly a beautiful and moving production, well cast and beautiful on the eyes and the ears. Would not surprise me, if this were next year's Olivier winner. Philip Quast was a stand-out as Archibald Craven and made "Lilly's Eyes" soar. And Craig Purnell (Dickon) and the rest of the cast were all superb. And even after only a few hours sleep the night before, on the flight to London, the show held my complete attention. Too bad the reviews were so mixed.
The three of us, David, Irv and me, than had a nightcap at Rupert Street in SoHo before heading back to the Hotel for a well earned night's sleep. After our pathetic instant coffee in the Hotel room, I head to the Royal Academy of Arts for an incredible show of Caravaggio and his contemporaries, THE GENIUS OF ROME: 1592 - 1623. An amazing collection of Caravaggio's paintings, including Gypsy Fortune Teller, Young Boy Peeling Fruit, The Musician, Cardsharps, The Lute Payer, The Stigmatisation of St Francis, St John the Baptist, The Entombment, Madonna di Loreto and one I'd missed in Rome, and probably one of my favorites, Boy With a Basket of Fruit. Truly a amazing assemblage of Caravaggio, all in one show.
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| Royal Academy of Arts |
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| The Ivy |
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| Peter, Me Chris, Irv |
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| Lucie Arnaz, Joanna Riding, Ian McShane, Maria Fredman |
Because someone in the audience became ill, the curtain was 45 minutes late and by the time we got to the bar where we were to meet David, closing time had long come and gone. It's hard to get used to these early (11pm) closings:-) And the tube stopping at midnight!! But we had a night cap in the Hotel room.
Friday morning I got an early start and off to a few antique markets in Chelsea before meeting Jonathan at Covent Gardens. Having forgotten about the LAURENCE OLIVIER AWARDS, I found the Royal Opera House closed to the public, so after lunch Jonathan and I, on the strong advise of Stephen, headed to Somerset House, an impressive Renaissance palace which houses the Courtauld Institute Galleries. In a dozen rooms, is housed a truly great collection of Italian Renaissance to post-impressionism paintings, Botticelli, Bellini, Ruben, Tiepolo, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh and many others.
After stopping at Dress Circle, Jonathan and I headed to the British Museum, where REMBRANDT: THE PRINTMAKER, 90 prints in all, was showing. After this, we choose High Tea in the newly opened Court Yard space (instead of Churchill's FAR AWAY). The restaurant was elegant and airy, a perfect spot to relax and consume large quantities of pastries after a long afternoon of galleries and museums.
Jonathan walked me to the Jermyn Street Theatre where I was to meet Chris and Stephen for the sold-out MAPP AND LUCIA. Chris had gotten us front row seats for this musical based on the campy EF Benson books about social rivals, Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Mrs Emmeline Lucas, living in a small English village, set between the Wars. While the lyrics were somewhat pedestrian, the musical captured the camp humor perfectly and was completely entertaining. As Paddy Glynn (Mrs Wyse) was ill, the director, Peter Benedict, took over the role, adding another layer of camp-value to the play. While no one could quite match the perfection of the BBC TV production, this one came close and Gaye Brown (Mapp) and stylized Aimi MacDonald (Lucia) were a delight to watch.
Afterward, the ever busy Stephen rushed off to another social engagement, leaving Chris and I to have cappuccinos and conversation in a SoHo coffee house. Of course caffeine at this time of the evening was not wise, so I stopped at a late night club, Brompton, on the way back to the Hotel. It was sort of the three "B's"... Boys, Beer and Bored. At least I saw it.
After a somewhat slow start on Saturday morning, I finally managed to see the the Vilar Floral Hall at the Royal Opera House and do a little shopping along Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circle before heading to the Lyric Hammersmith to see a Bollywood musical, FOURTEEN SONGS, TWO WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL. This light hearted romp was based on a highly successful Bollywood film of the same name. Highly stylized, it tells the story of two brothers and the sisters they love. The actors lip-synch to the prerecorded cast recording but if I hadn't known this, I would not have been able to tell, odd bit of theatre but as entertaining as all the other things I've see at this Theatre. And I loved the cast recording.
The evening brought NOTRA-DAME de PARIS, an overblown extravaganza. While many of the cast's voices were fine, the intense level of music never allowed the audience appreciate them. The sets were awful and the lighting, garish. There are a number of fairly well written songs (with poor translations) but they certainly got lost among all the flash. And the ending was one of the tackiest, I've witnessed. Three "dead Esmeraldas", suspended on wires, raising (withering) from the stage towards "Heaven". Like everything else about this show, overdone and a bit vulgar!
After packing and checking out of the Hotel, we met Chris and Morag McLaren for lunch. Morag's husband Hugh and I have been exchanging emails for awhile now and had planned on getting together while I was in London this trip. Unfortunately, Hugh got stuck with "fatherhood" duties so we had only the pleasant company of Morag, who had just return from a family visit from Edinburgh. But as I said it was "pleasant"!! Chris and Morag are old pals and, with both being cabaret singers, we spent most of our meal talking about cabaret and it's accompanying gossip. The Millennium's Olive Restaurant was a cozy spot with sun poring into the airy room through large windows. We decided it would make a wonderful cabaret space and we were ready to haul in a piano and start the singing. Chris talked me into having Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert... I could become addicted!! Oh Heaven!!!
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| Irv, Chris, Me, David, Mora |
Wish I'd heard about a new cabaret series now happening in London before I'd made my plane reservations as I'd have happily stayed one more day so I could have gone to the Lauderdale House for the Sunday afternoon cabaret concert. Both Chris and Morag spoke highly of thisvenue. It's located in North London near the Archway Tube stop.
(admin@auderdale.org.uk or 020 8348 8716)
From there it was off to the airport and New York. On the plane, Irv met an Australian law student, Julian, who ended up sharing a taxi with us. Because the taxi driver would make only three stops and headed to the Village instead of the Upper Westside, I ended up hopping the C train at West 4th Street and finishing my trip by tube, where my cat waited eagerly for my return.(admin@auderdale.org.uk or 020 8348 8716)
MJN
